DEVELOPMENT OF NO-CONTACT HUMIDITY SENSOR

[Anchor Lead]

As no-contact industries are gaining attention in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of Korean engineers has developed a humidity sensor that is 660 times more sensitive than conventional ones. This sensor can activate a machine without touching the surface.

[Pkg]

​This elevator button is turned on as a finger moves close to it. The sensor shows how moist a finger is quantitatively without actually touching the surface. This non-contact humidity sensor was developed by the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute. The sensor works by detecting water molecules like perspiration from one centimeter away, even without direct physical contact.

[Soundbite] SHUVRA MONDAL(ETRI RESEARCHER) : "I made a honeycomb structure with molybdenum disulfide. This honeycomb structure helps dramatically increased sensitivity by absorbing water molecules."

It's 660 times more sensitive than conventional models. Currently the reaction speed is about 0.5 seconds. ETRI seeks to commercialize the item within two years once the sensitivity is upgraded further. This technology will be helpful in everyday disease prevention as the world fights COVID-19.

[Soundbite] CHOI CHOON-GI(ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE) : "It can be used in health care and applied to non-contact screens or elevator buttons."

The research paper has been published on the March online edition of international scientific journal Applied Materials and Interface. A patent application is underway.