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Harvard Professor Creates Paper Accelerometer
SuperSlacker64 writes "In an age where just about everything starts going digital, it's refreshing to see someone going back to our roots: paper. Well, sort of. Researchers at Harvard have created a cheap, dime-sized, paper-based accelerometer that they believe could be used in various ways, such as inexpensive medical testing. The device works because a carbon bridge stretches and changes resistivity as the device is accelerated."
When they say "cheap," they mean it; the cost per device is estimated to be about four cents.
'Twould be very interesting to see just how accurate these devices are. While they are undoubtably cheap and easy to manufacture, many applications require high-precision measurements, not just good approximations. Nevertheless, bravo.
Transparent.
I recall from a recent episode of David Pogue's TV show (NOVA, Making Stuff:Smaller), about things getting smaller (and cheaper), one of the themes was mechanical devices being replaced by materials. This looks like another example of that.
I thought professors were people who couldn't hack it in the real world, but it turns out academia is behind most innovation in one way or another? Color me retarded.
If only there were a way to take a seed from a tree, put it in the ground, and make more of them. You could even envision some people producing tree farms.
So the medical supply company will still manage to charge $1500 for those with insurance, and $5000 without. It's all about the certification labels...
Everything works on paper!
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
is proportional to the quantity of MBAs b
Wouldn't they charge more for those with insurance?
Accelerometer embedded in paper. Now they can track every turn of a page -- to collect licensing perhaps?
I wanna know what it would take to build a paper airplane with autopilot.
The insurance company worked out a "bulk" deal with the hospital and does not have to pay "full price".
Spelling and Grammar errors have been added to this post for your enjoyment
TFA may show a picture of a dime next to the accelerometer, but it's clearly at least the size of a nickel!
Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
Most accelerometers are not just a sense element.
The Analog devices ones from a few years back included an onboard reference (to allow single supply operation), and an on board buffer amplifier with externally settable gain (i.e. integrated op-amp). The 4 cent sensor still requires precision op-amps, nulling trim pots, etc to get a usable sensor. Don't forget packaging to protect the element from kinks, moisture, etc.
BUT, the most important thing about the accelerometers from Analog I used was they were laser trimmed for 0G, and used a very cool sense mechanism. The sensor was a micro-machined silicon mass on springs with a capacitive force/sense system that detects a perturbation of position by using a 1 MHz AC pump signal with a capacitive bridge and synchronous demodulation feedback. The mass is forced to be stationary by applying a DC electrical voltage on the capacitive sense plates, imparting a force 100% proportional to the applied DC voltage (i.e. purely LINEAR voltage to force relationship).
So what? Their system keeps the mass centered, thus making micro-machined springs that hold the mass irrelevant to the output voltage. In other words the NON-LINEARITY of crap springs is servoed out, and the output voltage is not an open loop measurement with gain, but a true measure of the force being applied to the tiny little mass by the acceleration trying to be measured.
Paper as a spring is not going to be repeatable from batch to batch, is subject to moisture, subject to fatigue, hysteresis, etc. Mad props for new uses of paper, but practical as a replacement for the devices it mocks it is not.
why are you even here? just leave. don't come back. nobody likes you.
If it only costs four cents to manufacture, your doctor's office will bill $42.65 for it.
In other news, skin can function as an accelerometer, and black skin is more sensitive than white skin. That explains why black people can dance better than anybody else.
I see this is based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). As we continue to work on new ways to develop accurate MEMS - and incorporate them into things we need - we'll see if these live up to their promise. A while ago I was at a mass spectrometry conference where a researcher was talking about his work with MEMS for mass spec; which could turn the whole industry and field on it's head . While reducing the (physical) size of the detection part of a mass spectrometer is great, it offers another advantage as well - a MEMS could measure mass directly (all mass spectrometers on the market today measure mass-to-charge ratio instead).
If anything mentioned on slashdot recently has brought us closer to a real, working, tricorder, it is a MEMS based mass spectrometer.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Commenting to undo unintentional mod.
When I first read the title, I read it as a paper particle accelerator. I was really excited and curious, although confused when I actually rtfa and it talked about mems accelerometers, but I kept going, and it wasn't until the very last that I actually figured out that it was not in fact, a particle accelerator shrunk to the size of a dime made out of paper, but a tiny accelerometer made out of paper (essentially). It's been a long day.
x86, oh yes, I'm pro.
Could it tell me how long it took me to twist up this fattie?
sig: pv qid
Here. They can make paper out of kangaroo poo, just take it the next step. Take the initiative and your name can be here in an article on Slashdot as the inventor of poop based accelerometers. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/roo_poo_is_stat.php
Harvard Professor Creates Papal Accelerometer?
Amazing new paper sensor!
Only 4c to manufacture!
The size of a dime!
120 micronewton accuracy!
Fine print:
Requires precision resistors for the wheatstone bridge, a high resolution ADC, and a microcontroller for minimal calibration. Also a temperature sensor and additional ADC for decent calibration. Sounds like about $3 worth of additional cost minimum.
A 10 second check of digikey shows you can get a *3-axis* MEMS accelerometer (MMA8453QT) in a 3x3x1mm package (MUCH smaller than a dime) for US$2 ($1.12 in 100 qty). So this paper thing is larger, more expensive, and less accurate than MEMS accelerometers. That is besides the problem of sensitivity to humidity, and I expect low bandwidth. An interesting idea, but impractical.
That's fantastic!
Welcome to the Carbon Age.
It's not made of paper. It's made of paper, carbon and silver.
-- Cheers!
More importantly, precisely which medical tests require an accelerometer? Not being the sort of malingerer who spends a lot of time undergoing medical testing, I may have missed them but I'm pretty sure that no doctor has ever attempted to measure my acceleration. I know that older people often claim that time seems to pass more quickly. Perhaps time passing more quickly actually manifests as a measurable reduction in their acceleration and acceleration tests are a geriatric specialisation that I can look forward to as I get older. Perhaps the more senior SlashDot followers would care to comment on the efficacy of acceleration testing?
I thought professors were people who couldn't hack it in the real world, but it turns out academia is behind most innovation in one way or another? Color me retarded.
Note that this is a Professor of Chemistry, and we're talking about physical sciences here.
Your sarcastic criticism refers to something still quite true for all the sophists in the 'Women's studies', 'philosophy', and similar departments.
In the physical sciences, bullsh*t is bullsh*t and often readily identifiable as such. In the 'softer' fields, there is no physical reality that must be lived up to. All one must do for such academic credentials is to spin reams of crap that tickles the egos of their predecessors. In cases where the reality of human civilization indicates some grand social theory is useless, it's authors can claim 'Well the conditions aren't quite what I prescribed.....' and still be lauded if that theory fits the prejudices of said ivory-tower academics.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a store, not a government agency.
How is this different from a normal piezoelectric transducer being used as an accelerometer ?