Electroactive Polymers

Already, the Berkeley team has worked out how to print electronic components such as transistors, capacitors, inductive coils and other semiconductor components. These may be connected to form complete circuits for actuation and control, says John Canny, who heads the team.

Once they have developed ink-jet cartridges that can handle all the polymers needed for casing and circuit printing, Canny predicts they could make, say, a remote control for a TV.

Printed as a single continuous component, it would contain the buttons, a polymer-based infrared emitter and polymer-based electronics. Everything, in fact, except the batteries. They could use transparent polymers and plastic light emitters to print light bulbs.

By printing with electroactive polymers, which produce voltages across them when compressed, or bunch up tight when a voltage is applied to them, the printed devices can be made to respond to pressure or flex in certain directions. So buttons can be created that produce voltages, for example, or artificial muscles for robots that flex when a voltage is applied.