TECHNOLOGY TO CONVERT PRESSURE INTO LIGHT

[Anchor Lead]

A team of Korean engineers found a way to convert pressure into light. The technology is so sensitive that it can sense the fine grooves in fingerprints or the throbbing of the pulse. It is likely to be used in various areas such as security or wearable devices.

[Pkg]

A man presses his palm against a transparent glass panel. A pressure sensor identifies the shape of the palm and sends a biometric authentication signal. This is the communication mode of the future. A technology seen only in sci-fi movies has now become a reality. When a finger is pressed on a thin film, even the fine grooves of a fingerprint as thin as a hair show up. A network of veins on a leaf is lit up in red. Conductive wires are inserted into a high-polymer material that's only a hundredth the thickness of a strand of hair. The pressed wires come in contact with the high-polymer sheet to send electric currents and illuminate the contact area. Sensitivity has been dramatically enhanced compared to existing models. An integrated sensor and display set eliminates the need for a separate imaging device.

[Soundbite] OH JI-YEONG(ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE) : "If conventional technology collected two-dimensional information, this technology obtains 3-dimensional image information with its vastly enhanced sensitivity."

This 3-D imaging technology can be used in biometric identification devices with heightened security or a wearable device that measures pulse in real-time.

[Soundbite] AHN SEONG-DEOK(ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE) : "It's very thin, transparent, and highly sensitive. So it can be used in various areas, like security, healthcare and household appliances."

The research team plans to transfer this technology to a private firm and get it ready for commercialization.