In the future every home will have one: electronic devices that you can control just by pointing a finger. To turn this vision into reality the 3Plast research consortium is developing special sensors that can be printed onto plastic film and affixed to objects.
I envision a near future, say 5 to 10 years, in which all objects of any value whatsoever will have sensors attached or embedded and where all such objects will communicate with one another instantaneously.
IBM scientists today unveiled a significant step towards replacing electrical signals that communicate via copper wires between computer chips with tiny silicon circuits that communicate using pulses of light. As reported in the recent issue of the scientific journal Nature, this is an important advancement in changing the way computer chips talk to each other.
Stanford University researchers have demonstrated a way to turn ordinary paper into a battery, which may be crumpled or pressed into any form. It’s said the low-cost technology promises greater durability, higher efficiency, and faster energy transfer than traditional batteries.
