VATIS UPDATE Article

According to the researchers at the University of Sheffield, the United Kingdom, in the near future, shopping or using products may include video or interactive content displaying on screens attached to packages. A process to cheaply print electronics, and attach low-cost electronics and a screen to paper-based packaging, could herald the next generation of packaging. Displays that light up, offer information or allow customers to interact using keyboards printed into the packaging could be used to enter a message in a greeting card, or eventually be complex enough to include timed signals on pregnancy tests or hair-dye kits.

In a study published in the IEEE Journal of Display Technology, the researchers have detailed the process of screen-printing a series of capacitive touch pads and connecting tracks onto paper using graphite ink. The researchers then used LED arrays and small, battery-powered electronics to power them. Researchers also said printing could potentially be done on other surfaces in the future. The researchers said they are working to create fully organic displays on a plastic substrate, though the devices need to be cheap and flexible enough for packaging – which will require further time for development.