The Bicycle with Whiskers, and How Printed Electronics are Making Us Safer
One of the coolest (and most useful) electronic innovations we’ve seen in a while has come from students at California State University – Long Beach. The technology is called Vibrisee, and it's a printed electronics-powered device that attaches to the front of a bicycle’s frame in order to help keep rider’s more visible (and therefore, less prone to being hit) at night when roads are dark.
Here are 5 reasons Vibrisee and similar devices will create a new niche for printed electronics and redefine what modern PCB can do:
1. Sets a precedent for biomimicry
Biomimicry, or the phenomenon of adapting natural forms for use in emerging technology, is the way of the future, and if PCB-based technologies can be used effectively in biomimicry-based designs, then it will bring science closer to replicating (and ultimately improving upon) human and animal biology.
2. Encourages more student-based research projects
The only way any industry or movement will survive is if it is continually backed by future generations of dreamers, makers, and doers. Projects like Vibrisee, which empower tomorrow's engineers to start thinking realistically about today's problems and how to solve them will ensure that we continue to nurture a love and respect for PCB and its applications.
3. Makes people safer
Vibrisee's proprietary "whisker" design was adapted from the way seals and cats use their whiskers to interact with and learn from their environment in order to prevent themselves from entering into risky situations.
4. Encourages crowd-sourced research and development
California State University has engendered a great spirit of community by working together on the Vibrisee project and hopefully this sets a standard for the sort of awesome endeavors that can be undertaken in the PCB community when great minds come together for a common cause.
5. Connects electronics to a zero emissions technology
The more next-generation electronics that are produced that are carbon-neutral (or close to it), the more favorable society's view of these electronics will be.
Vibrisee institutes some groundbreaking technologies, and we can't wait to see what these students have up their sleeves next! Of course, this sort of innovation will only advance society if it can be mass-produced and mass-distributed. If your company has a product in the design or nascent stages of production, and you're thinking about introducing it to a larger market, it just might be time to consider looking for a proven printed electronics supplier that has the experience and vision to make your dreams a reality!
