New 3D-printed objects capable of storing data without needing power

Researchers are trying to figure out a new way where 3D-printed objects could be able to store and transmit data on their own without the use of batteries.

University of Washington's researchers have been creating a 3D-printed assistive technology that will create a way for 3D-printed plastic objects to transmit and store data without the requirement of embedded batteries or such electronics.

Researchers express that though customizable 3D-printed devices such as prosthetics or smart pill bottles can help patients remember to take their medicines, they cannot monitor how the patients are using them, reported Engadget.

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Co-author Jennifer Mankoff said, “We’re interested in making accessible assistive technology with 3D-printing, but we have no easy way to know how people are using it. Could we come up with a circuit-less solution that could be printed on consumer-grade, off-the-shelf printers and allow the device itself to collect information? That's what we showed was possible in this paper.”

The researchers figured out that for converting these 3D-printed objects into smart devices they would need the ability to monitor complex actions and store data. For this, the researchers integrated two antennas into their objects like pill bottles that signaled movement in two directions.

Video Courtesy: UW (University of Washington)

For storing the information out of WiFi range, the team used the example of an insulin pen. “You can still take insulin even if you don’t have a WiFi connection. So we needed a mechanism that stores how many times you used it. Once you’re back in the range, you can upload that stored data into the cloud,” said researcher Shyam Gollakota.

In order to accomplish it, the scientists put a spring inside a ratchet. Every time the button is pushed, the spring gets tighter. When the user comes back in the WiFi range, they can release the ratchet that will unwind the spring. This in turn will trigger a switch to touch an embedded antenna. Each button press will then be translated into an antenna contact that will permit frequency of use data to be transmitted.

Video Courtesy: UW (University of Washington)

For the future, the team aims to make such prototypes smaller in order to embed them into actual pill bottles, prosthetics and insulin pens, as per Science Daily.