Xerox Corp. has announced a new [ink] that it says can be used to print logic circuits on a variety of substrates from plastic to fabric, rather than burning them into silicon. And it suggests that this could be much less expensive than today's chip manufacturing process.
If this is true, it can be a real game changer not only in the computer industry but also in the culture at large, with an impact potentially as great as that of the PC. The Xerox release suggest, for example, that it could be used to create “intelligent” pill bottles that track how much of a medicine a patient has taken and to display screens that roll up to fit into a briefcase. But that may only be the start. The briefcase could come with a biometric lock. Tee-shirts could have screens and computer logic that lets them change pictures as you walk down the street. A cell phone could be “printed” on an armband or a credit card. The list is endless.
Beyond that, this technology could trigger a whole new wave of innovation, creating products that we cannot envision today, just as the Internet has done.
For years visionaries have talked about a world in which nearly every object is “intelligent”. Xerox may have opened the door to that world.
Action Item: Keep a sharp eye on this technology and start thinking about what intelligent products your company might produce.
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