Via: Ynvisible
Ynvisible, YDreams's first spin-off, is a company dedicated to the research and development of innovative technologies that will bring interactive properties to surfaces such as paper, plastic, glass, fabric, leather, ceramics, wood, cork or concrete.
Ynvisible's technology aspires to create a new generation of products in areas such as smart packaging, smart wearables, smart tools and ambient intelligence – working as physical Serious Games.
The company targets the mass production of interactive electrochromic displays that are printed, flexible, transparent, sunlight-readable, low power and, most of all, low-cost.
The first generation of Ynvisible’s products will be monochromatic electrochromic stickers which can be activated through different means, such as a timer, a light sensor, a movement sensor or touch. These displays may alternate between two pre-programmed images or between an invisible state and a pre-programmed image. It is expected that these products will be available in the first semester of 2011.
Using patented novel functional inks in combination with existing industry standard processes, Ynvisible’s technology has the potential to add differentiating value to several already existing markets at a disruptively low cost.
Ynvisible’s business model is based on licensing proprietary electrochromic display technology to consumer goods industries. Ynvisible's main revenue stream will be royalties-based.
The Invisible Network (IN), an R&D association created in 2009, led by YDreams and Ynvisible, is comprised of some of Portugal’s most renowned laboratories, high-tech companies and industry leaders.
Members include the Photochemistry and Supramolecular Chemistry Group from the Faculty of Science and Technology of Universidade Nova de Lisboa, the Center for Nanotechnologies and Smart Materials (CENTI), Innovano (nanotechnology company from CUF Group), Sonae Indústria (largest producer of wood-based panels in the world), Corticeira Amorim (world leader in cork production), BA Vidro (manufacturer of glass containers for the food, beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries) and Secil (cement and concrete producer).
Applications
Ynvisible’s technology will add differentiating value to several already existing markets at a disruptively low cost.
This may include interactive advertising on magazines and outdoors, packaging, point-of-sale displays, among others. In the future many new features will be possible:
• Smart packages that provide interactive information regarding expiry dates or content description;
• Newspapers, brochures, books or any real paper surfaces featuring animations, small videos and any other type of user-activated content;
• A new generation of intelligent objects/tools and simple computational devices, such as plastic boards that integrate switchable calendars or calculators;
• Interactive clothing that can be used to control gadgets such as MP3 players or mobile phones, and serve as the mobile devices’ displays;
• Intelligent furniture and walls that can, for example, display games and information on different surfaces.