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Building Functional Prototypes Using Conductive Inkjet Printing

The recently developed conductive inkjet printing process enables conductive circuits to be created quickly, cheaply, and easily using a consumer-grade inkjet printer. In its basic form, the technique supports a single layer of wiring on a flexible substrate. This can be a valuable tool for pervasive computing research because it allows simple electronic circuits and devices to be built and iterated quickly, in an analogous manner to the use of 3D printers for prototyping mechanical structures. It is possible to rapidly create touch- and proximity-sensitive surfaces, to cut and fold the printed conductive patterns, and to augment them with off-the-shelf electronic components and custom-made subcircuits. The authors present the possibilities enabled by conductive inkjet printing, bringing together their previously published results and presenting their latest insights and findings. They consider these printing and fabrication techniques as a suite of tools for researchers and practitioners who wish to fabricate a variety of functional device prototypes. They aim to enable others to understand the strengths, weaknesses, and applicability of conductive inkjet printing across a range of pervasive computing applications. This article is part of a special issue on printing and fabrication.