Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology want to
put your signature up in lights – tiny lights, that is. Using thousands of
nanometer-scale wires, the researchers have developed a sensor device that
converts mechanical pressure – from a signature or a fingerprint – directly
into light signals that can be captured and processed optically.
The sensor device could provide an artificial sense of
touch, offering sensitivity comparable to that of the human skin. Beyond
collecting signatures and fingerprints, the technique could also be used in
biological imaging and micro-electromechanical (MEMS) systems. Ultimately, it
could provide a new approach for human-machine interfaces.