Canadians invented the flexible sensor material

This new development is another step towards the creation of flexible gadgets

Canadian scientists have invented a flexible and soft touch material, which in the future will allow to create flexible smartphones and tablets and virtually invisible on the skin adaptive health sensors and fitness trackers. Engineers in different countries in recent years, working to create plastic displays, and this new development is another step towards the creation of flexible gadgets.

“This is the first a transparent touch sensor that is able to receive signals during deformation”, — said the engineer, Mirza Sahib, Sarwar from University of British Columbia.

The material was developed by Sarwar, consists of a highly conductive gel between the layers of silicone. In addition, the sensor senses a touch during the deformation, it is also able to perceive “virtual” touch, when the finger does not even touch film. To do this, the developers added to the hydrogel electrodes, thereby creating an electric field over the sensor.

Testing was conducted on a small prototype the size of 5 by 5 inches, but the researchers say that due to the relatively low cost of problems with scaling of technology will not occur. According to Mirza Sarwar, the new material is “just a few dollars per square meter”, and it can be used even for the fabrication of disposable sensors.

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