A simpler way to make micromachines

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Microelectromechanical devices gave us the Wii and the digital projector. MIT researchers have found a way to manufacture them by stamping them on plastic, opening up the possibility of coating large areas with tiny sensors. Microelectromechanical devices — tiny machines with moving parts — are everywhere these days: they monitor air pressure in car tires, register the gestures of video game players, and reflect light onto screens in movie theaters. Now, MIT researchers have discovered a way to manufacture them by stamping them onto a plastic film. That should significantly reduce their cost, but it also opens up the possibility of large sheets of sensors that could, say, cover the wings of an airplane to gauge their structural integrity. The printed devices are also flexible, so they could be used to make sensors with irregular shapes.