The defense apartment has announced a huge grant to develop flexible technology, or hi-tech stuff that bends. It's a new multi-million dollar incentive for innovators in Silicon Valley, which is one of the largest hubs for creativity in the United States. Len Ramirez has the story.
PUTTING A HIGH TECH TWIST ON THE AGE-OLD IDEA OF PRINTING?THIS ROLLER IS LAYING OUT A FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT BOARD ON A THIN FILM OF PLASTIC. IT USES A NEW METALLIC INK?THAT ACTUALLY CONDUCTS ELECTRICITY.
[SOT SUPER:Malcolm Keif, Ph.D/Cal Poly]"We're printing circuits, we're printing sensors, we're printing batteries?photo voltaics."
IT'S JUST ONE OF THE INNOVATIONS EXPECTED TO COME FROM A NEW MANUFACTURING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SILICON VALLEY AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
[SOT]"I've been pushing the Pentagon to think outside of our 5 sided box."
U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ASH CARTER CAME TO THE GIANT WIND TUNNEL AT NASA AMES IN MOUNTAIN VIEW TO ANNOUNCE A 75-MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO CREATE A NEW MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE IN SILICON VALLEY?FOCUSED ON FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS.
[SOT ]"Given what we've already done, there is truly no limit to what we can achieve together."
THE NEW INSTITUTE WILL BE MANAGED BY FLEXTECH?AN INDUSTRY GROUP THAT ALREADY INCUBATES IDEAS LIKE FLEXIBLE AND STRETCHABLE CIRCUITS?
[SOT SUPER:Dr. Malcolm Thompson/FlexTech Alliance]"Now we want to mature the technology so we get manufacturing and things made of these devices."
THE INSTITUTE WILL PIONEER NEW WAYS TO MANUFACTURE THINGS USING MICRO ROBOTS?
IT WILL HELP CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES OR WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN MONITOR THE CONDITION OF CIVILIANS OR SOLDIERS THROUGH TEMPERATURE AND SWEAT.
[SOT]"I can't begin to tell you what we might be working on 3 years from now."
THE NEW INSTITUTE WILL BE BASED IN SAN JOSE?AND COULD USHER IN A NEW ERA OF JOB CREATION AND MANUFACTURING MIGHT IN SILICON VALLEY.