Technology Evaluation for Paintable Computing and Paintable Displays RF Nixel Seedling

摘要

A paintable computer uses thousands or millions of identical autonomous microsystems. The microsystems are fabricated using a high-volume batch process, mixed with paint and coated onto a surface. Self-assembling code allows the microsystems to act in concert to provide a useful function. MIT staff constructed and programmed a lab-scale prototype paintable display with 1000 semi-autonomous nodes. Also, MIT staff constructed a functional prototype demonstrating power distribution to randomly oriented millimeter scale semiconductor devices. MIT staff performed a series of basic engineering calculations to determine the feasibility of paintable systems with thousands of< nun3 microsystems, including how to power them, manufacture them, and provide communications between them. Based on these calculations, a paintable display, powered by a zinc-air battery for 8 hours, or extemally powered by capacitive coupling, appears feasible in principle, with an estimated paint manufacturing cost of $0.40 I cm2 of 0.5 mm resolution color display paint.