An Austrian company has created a paper piano by printing keys and circuit boards onto paper, then combining them with chips and smartphones.
Many smartphone users are familiar with NFC technology, which is used for tasks such as contactless payments, data sharing between devices, and secure logins. The Austrian tech company Prelonic has integrated this technology with printed circuit boards to create the Paper Piano, as reported by New Atlas on December 8th.
To operate, the Paper Piano requires PIP and a smartphone.
Founded in 2007, Prelonic aims to develop and manufacture flexible printed electronic devices, including displays, batteries, and sensors. One of the company’s products is the Prelonic Interactive Paper (PIP), which combines printed circuit boards and NFC technology to provide users with a new way to interact with mobile devices.
To operate, the Paper Piano requires PIP and a smartphone. The process of creating this product is not complicated. First, experts print the piano keys onto a sheet of paper using a standard laser printer. Then, they print conductive carbon on the back of the paper and a simple circuit board on another sheet. The piano key sheet has a tiny NFC chip attached to the back, which is then placed on top of the circuit board to create an interactive interface.
Next, a smartphone running the accompanying app is positioned to the left of the piano keys, right above where the NFC chip is attached. The Paper Piano does not require an additional power source, as power is transmitted to the circuit board through the phone’s antenna. When users touch any of the 8 printed white piano keys on the paper, the corresponding key on the phone changes color, and the corresponding note is played through the speaker.
The Paper Piano exemplifies the potential applications of new technology in advertising, education, or gaming, and is not intended for sale, according to Prelonic. Useful applications could include a paper QWERTY keyboard, which helps free up space on the phone’s screen and provides a more comfortable typing experience, or greeting cards with images that can be used to adjust photo albums and playlists on the phone.
“The Paper Piano is a hybrid device primarily made through printing, allowing you to play an 8-key piano with a mobile phone. This is just one example of what can occur in today’s technology world,” shared Friedrich Eibensteiner, CEO of Prelonic.
