Printed WiFi - 3D Printed Wireless Connected Objects

thingiverse

This collection of recent research from the University of Washington focuses on developing 100% printed WiFi sensors. Several videos circulating online sparked my interest in compiling relevant information about this project. Although the research is still relatively new, its concept is quite intriguing. I highly recommend watching these introductory videos to become familiar with the idea: https://youtu.be/gU6-o9SIkMQ and https://youtu.be/lD3lTtnoSOk. Once you're well-versed in the concept, I suggest exploring the PowerPoint presentation titled "Printed_Wifi.pps" and reading the research paper called "3D_Printing_Wireless_Connected_Objects.pdf", both of which are included in this file set. Additionally, the provided CAD files were originally in SCAD format, so I converted them to STL for easier usage. These STL files include: bowtie_antenna.stl, coded_gears.stl, dipole_antenna.stl, flowmeter.stl, publicDomainGearLib.stl, publicDomainGearLibv2.stl, rack.stl, spring.stl, switch_base.stl, and switch_contact.stl. You will also find the original SCAD files in this set. Some notes on these parts: - Part 4 - flowmeter.stl may require supports during printing. - Parts 3 - dipole_antenna.stl and 9 - switch_base.stl were printed using "Electrifi Conductive 3D Printing Filament" on the contact surfaces, as explained in the research paper and shown in images. - The ferromagnetic segments of other models were created using "ProtoPasta Magnetic Iron PLA", as detailed in the research paper. While this is not yet a fully complete solution, the concepts and technical ideas are well-explained here. The provided models should allow you to test building a solution.