Printed Electronics in the Office
The market for Printed Electronics has been on a drastic rise in recent years. Printed electronics are being used in unique and innovative ways in just about every market you could think of; with Medical, Industrial, Athletics, and Military being just a few examples. But what about printed electronics being utilized in an everyday setting? Not for a specific industry, but rather in your company’s own office? Stay tuned to find out how printed electronics can enhance your day-to-day in the office.
Flexible Printed Heaters in the Office:
Flexible printed heaters are warming elements that are made through the process of cost-effective screen printing, flexible substrates, and functional inks! The best part about printed heaters? They can be custom-made to specific temperature parameters and are self-regulating. This means that they will heat to the custom temperature specified and be able to self-regulate to only reach that specific temperature. They are battery-operated, eliminating the need for bulky wires and plugs that can oftentimes be bothersome.
But how could flexible printed heaters be applied in an office setting? The application opportunities are only as endless as your imagination. For starters, printed heaters could be incorporated into office chairs, meaning that the chairs could be heated just as easily as seat warmers in a vehicle. They could be applied to either the bottom or the back of the chair.
Another unique application for printed heaters would be to utilize them as a coffee warmer. These flexible printed heaters could be applied to a smaller material, similar to the size of a mouse pad, and the battery for the heater could be easily plugged into your computer’s USB port. The pad would heat, and you could set your coffee onto the pad, thus heating the coffee easily and handsfree. This, of course, leads us to another unique application of printed heaters to develop a heated mouse pad to keep your hands warm while using your computer’s mouse.
Biosensors for Health Monitoring in the Office:
What if employees’ health vitals could be monitored throughout the day easily and hassle-free? This is made possible through the use of biosensors. Biosensors are another printed electronic that is drastically impacting industries today. Biosensors are capable of being implemented into articles of clothing to monitor health vitals remotely. Examples of vitals that biosensors can monitor are those such as the respiratory rate or heart rate.
Imagine an office setting where everyone wore a type of biosensor incorporated undergarment. Through the use of these undergarments, every individual employee’s health vitals could be monitored throughout the day. This would give managers the opportunity to monitor not only their employee’s direct health but also their stress levels. They could visually see the stress their employees are under, thus being able to minimize that stress before it becomes overwhelming for employees. This would not only directly help employees to recognize health concerns instantly, but also help them to have a more positive work experience. They’d be working for a company that values not only their physical health but their mental health as well.
Capacitive Touch in the Office:
Capacitive touch sensors have become a popular alternative to traditional interfaces in recent years. It can commonly be used today in the replacement of traditional buttons or switches. In an office setting, capacitive touch sensors could be used in the replacement of light switches within the office. Instead of the traditional light switch, capacitive touch could be used to turn lights on and off. By a simple touch, the sensor would be able to turn the light on and off in contrast to flipping a light switch. The user interface design of In-Mold Electronics could oftentimes include printed capacitive touch circuitry.
Capacitive touch is also commonly used in appliances within an office setting! They’re oftentimes incorporated into the screen of machinery such as copiers and printers within the workplace. Cap touch buttons are also commonly used for water dispensing machines within the office! Because cap touch can be used in the replacement of traditional interfaces, they have the opportunity to be used in several different fashions within the office setting!
Conclusion:
Printed electronics are drastically impacting several different industries. However, industries alone aren’t the only ones that can and will be impacted by their use. By incorporating printed electronics into simple settings such as within an office, it can impact the entire company and a very positive way.
For more information on the different types of printed electronics, or if you’re interested in starting your next project, reach out! We will be happy to help!
Meet the Author: Jaclyn King
Jaclyn is a Digital Marketing Specialist on the BTI Team. Her main job responsibilities involve inbound marketing, content creation, and social media management. To get to know more about Jaclyn, check her out on LinkedIn!