openMaterials

Researchers Elvira Fortunato and Rodrigo Martins from the New University of Lisbon (my alma matter!), developed a resistor that can change the color of any material: paper, polymers, glass, ceramics, metal, you name it. The technology actually consists in a solution, composed of electrochromic nano particles, i.e. the transistor and the pixel are one and [...]

Ricardo Webbens recently showed me how simple it is to make eco-friendly cardboard circuits. Looking at these beautiful paper boards, I became particularly interested in exploring the aesthetic qualities of this technique. See ciat-lonbarde’s site for many more truly amazing paper circuits.

Greg Saul and Mark D. Gross describe their paper devices as “small paper interactive objects that use nitinol shape-memory alloy wire for actuation, gold leaf printed circuits, embedded microchips for control, and paper outer shells for form and structure.” Their gold leaf circuits applied directly on the paper allow for a light weight, beautiful, and [...]

One of our main research interests here at openMaterials is pulp-based computing, an approach that involves embedding electronics, electro-active inks, conductive threads and other smart materials directly into handmade paper pulp. Marcelo Coelho and Pattie Maes are doing some very interesting and beautiful work at MIT’s Fluid Interfaces Group.

Philip Ball in an interview with Jennifer Leonard (for the book Massive Change): “It’s about moving away from the classical idea of materials – inert stuff that serves a structural role – toward the more contemporary notion of materials. More and more, materials are active and respond to stimuli in their environment. Materials can light [...]