Printed Circuits

2008/01/11 · by · in Ideas, Punditry, Self, Tech*

My laptop broke, so I took it apart to see what was wrong (a personality trait developed in early childhood). All signs point to a hardware problem, one that I’m incapable of fixing. This situation is absolutely galling. Like most things in my life this small incident is a trigger that enlightens me to a much larger problem. Thus began my late-night vision.

Printed circuitry. I’m already aware that certain companies (Xerox, Epson, HP) are interested, and have prototyped the ability to print circuits on plastic sheets using a process akin to that of an ink-jet. Such a printer would reshape the entire industry. It could probably be sold for about $100–$300. The open/free hardware movement would take to the newfound ability of every person to print their own low-cost computer like an estrus pig to truffles. I know that circuits made using such a technology would not be ideal for high-power CPUs, but that’s just an interesting challenge. It would require the redesigning of a computer to be very low-power, and low clockrate (current 45nm vs 200um). But what is lost in performance at the chip level, can be mode up for via cheap fabrication of more chips (ala the Connection Machine or INMOS transputer).

    There are a number of features that would be very interesting to industry.

  • low distribution cost
  • low manufacture cost
  • simplified assembly
  • extremely light weight
  • low power consumption
  • increased ease of customization
  • rapid prototyping
  • Hobbiest magazines could publish user submitted circuits in functional form, so that subscribers can tear along the perforation, apply power, and play with their useful new toy.
  • I’m sure that you can think of more. (combined with an E-ink display this would make a feather-light laptop)

I would love to live in a world where I can fix a hardware problem myself, by downloading a schematic file and printing it out, and assembling the machine myself. The whole idea rings of a resurrection of the Homebrew Computer Club. It’s not that doing things myself is more efficient or saves money, it’s that by solving my own problems, I get a strong sense of personal fulfillment that simply can’t be purchased at the supermarket. The popularity of the Maker(tm) movement is evidence that I am not alone in this desire. I believe that this is an idea whose time has come. It’s a great place for a start-up to make a rapid killing.