THE MOST FAMOUS MOLECULE IN THE TECH INDUSTRY IS COMING TO LIFE
It’s strong, it’s flexible, and it’s here. After a long time cooking in the labs, the first graphene-based products are beginning to trickle out into the world of smartphones, wearables, batteries, virtual reality, sports equipment, super-capacitors and supercars.
Graphene is a material that some believe has been coerced from abandoned space ships, left on Earth by extraterrestrials years ago. While that’s a little unlikely, the power of this super-thin, strong, conductive and all-round amazing material is deserving of such a conspiracy.
It’s been over 60 years coming as scientists and manufacturers alike have struggled to harness the power of this awesome material, but it’s closing in on revolutionizing so many things we’re using day to day.
We’ve recently updated this page with 10 more ways that graphene is about to change your life, as seen on display at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. Want to learn more about graphene and its future uses? Check out our feature, Why is graphene taking so long?
UV-TRACKING GRAPHENE PATCH
UV-protective clothing that lets through a fraction of the sun’s harmful rays to your skin is now common, but what if your clothes could actually tell you when your skin has had enough UV radiation? That’s the idea behind this ultra-thin and flexible sensor. “You stick it directly on your skin, or to your swimming shorts, or it could be integrated into clothes,” says Professor Frank Koppens from ICFO (The Institute of Photonic Sciences), Barcelona. “It measures the UV index and sends an alarm to your phone when you need to get out of the sun.” Currently in the process of being miniaturized, in the future this patch will be even smaller, and be completely transparent.
SMART INSOLE MONITORING FOR ATHLETES
Graphene is also making great strides in smart footwear. Real-time pressure-sensing socks and insoles aren’t new, but mostly such products have just a few pressure sensors built into them. This prototype has well over 100. Able to measure exactly where your feet is striking the sole, lightweight graphene-embedded foam responds to variations in pressure – and at exacting milligram level. “I can get a qualitative number on how much every point of my foot is exerting on the sole, and present mapping of shoe pressure, all within a smartphone app,” says Yarjan Abdul Samad from the Cambridge Graphene Center at the University of Cambridge.
