Here Comes the Internet of Plastic Things, No Batteries or Electronics Required
[Researchers] at the University of Washington have devised a way of using 3D printed plastic to create objects that communicate with smartphone or other Wi-Fi devices without the need for batteries or electronics.
This research builds on previous work at the University of Washington dating back to 2014 in which another research team employed battery-less chips that transmit their bits by either reflecting or not reflecting a Wi-Fi router's signals. With this kind of backscattering, a device communicates by modulating its reflection of the Wi-Fi signal in the space.
The challenge with existing Wi-Fi backscatter systems is that they require multiple electronic components, including RF switches that can toggle between reflective and non-reflective states, digital logic that controls the switch to encode the appropriate data as well as a power source/harvester that powers all these electronic components.
In this latest research, the University of Washington team has been able to leverage this Wi-Fi backscatter technology to 3D geometry and create easy to print wireless devices using commodity 3D printers. To achieve this, the researchers have built non-electronic and printable analogues for each of these electronic components using plastic filaments and integrated them into a single computational design.
The researchers are making their CAD models available to 3D printing enthusiasts so that they can create their own IoT objects. The designs include a battery-free slider that controls music volume, a button that automatically orders more cornflakes from an e-commerce website and a water sensor that sends an alarm to your phone when it detects a leak.
"We are using mechanism actuation to transmit information wirelessly from these plastic objects," explained Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor at the University of Washington, who with students Vikram Iyer and Justin Chan, published their original paper on the research in 2017 [open, DOI: 10.1145/3130800.3130822].
(Score: 4, Insightful) by sjames on Sunday October 11 2020, @06:21PM
Remember the many stories involving an evil doll that just won't go away?
Turns out it'll be pills and detergent instead and it's coming soon to a store near you.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 11 2020, @06:45PM (2 children)
Please stop.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 11 2020, @06:58PM (1 child)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 11 2020, @07:26PM
so, the usual suspects.
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Sunday October 11 2020, @08:46PM
IoT technology reached its apex when refrigerator mounted push buttons became available that you could hit when, for example, you ran out of Doritos.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by PinkyGigglebrain on Sunday October 11 2020, @08:55PM (1 child)
We'll have enough address for for all the junk that will get created.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday October 11 2020, @09:42PM
It just has to get 12 bits to the router.
I guess in this dystopian future, you can buy up to 4,096 types of products registered with your router by simply hitting a plastic button.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 12 2020, @06:48AM
I'll empty the contents in another bottle. Hope they can re-order from the landfill.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 12 2020, @11:31AM
Free Stuff.
They can have their bottles order new stuff for me if they want. I won't be fucking paying for it though.