LinkNotes: Wireless Power and Communication Sheets

2007-12-16

Wireless Power and Communication Sheets

A flexible plastic substrate for low-power link and wireless power for portables

A miniature house with wireless power transmissions sheets embedded in the floor and covering the desk and wall.

ELECTRIC FLOOR MAT: A plastic sheet capable of wirelessly transmitting power to objects placed on it.

The communications sheet originates from a series of technology developments in large-area electronics made by researchers at the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering. [...] The power sheet routed the power to the right spots through a combination of organic transistors and plastic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) switches.

With further improvement, the researchers say, these electronic sheets could be formed into table covers, desk covers, or wallpaper, or be embedded into the floor, and could allow hundreds, even thousands, of devices to communicate with one another with a level of security better than can be achieved by Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other wireless technologies. The sheet could also deliver power directly to devices, the researchers say, replacing cables and power cords, along with their connectors and plugs.