New shape-shifting ink could make electronics more comfortable, adaptable, and wearable than ever
Think of a future where your phone bends to fit your pocket, your medical implant softens inside your body, or robots change shape to squeeze through tight spaces. That future might be closer than you think, thanks to a new invention from researchers in South Korea.
Scientists at KAIST and Seoul National University have developed an “electronic ink” that can be printed into circuits which switch between hard and soft, simply by changing the temperature. This breakthrough could lead to a new generation of flexible electronics – gadgets that aren’t just bendy, but can actually change how stiff or soft they are, depending on where and how they’re used.
How does it work?
The secret ingredient is gallium, a metal that’s solid at room temperature but melts just below body temperature. By mixing tiny gallium particles with a flexible polymer and a solvent, the team created a stable ink that can be printed using regular techniques like screen printing. When the printed circuit is gently heated, the solvent breaks down, making the ink conductive and changing its stiffness. The result: circuits that can go from plastic-like hard to rubbery soft, and back again, as needed.
Why does this matter?
Most electronics today are either rigid – think smartphones and laptops – or soft, like fitness bands and other wearables. Rigid devices are durable and powerful, but not comfortable to wear or easy to adapt. Soft devices are flexible but can be tricky to make with the same precision. This new ink bridges that gap, letting devices shift between tough and flexible as needed.
The researchers showed off two working prototypes. One is a wearable health device that’s sturdy at room temperature but softens when it touches your skin, making it more comfortable to wear. The other is a brain implant that stays rigid for precise placement during surgery, then softens inside the body to reduce irritation.
What’s next?
Because the ink works with common manufacturing methods, it could be used for large-scale or even 3D-printed electronics in the future. The circuits can be printed as thin as a human hair and become over 1,400 times softer when warmed. That opens up possibilities for everything from medical tech to smart clothing and flexible robots. As Professor Jae-Woong Jeong of KAIST put it in a statement, “This opens up new possibilities for future personal electronics, medical devices and robotics.”
This new electronic ink could change the way gadgets are made and used, making them more adaptable, comfortable, and versatile than ever before. This study was published in the journal Science Advances.
