Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") today launched the Toy Development Kit.
Printed Electronics USA 2010, Santa Clara-2 December 2010: The Thinfilm Toy Development Kit includes the tools needed to efficiently design smart toys and games. "This new kit will accelerate the market launch of interactive games powered by Thinfilm MemoryTM," says Davor Sutija, Thinfilm CEO.
The Thinfilm Toy Development Kit contains a hand-held reader/writer for memory-labeled cards, samples of the newly developed Thinfilm Memory ControllerTM, and tags with Thinfilm Memory. The Thinfilm Memory Controller is an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The kit also includes instructions for programming, and is available for purchase and immediate delivery by qualified designers and customer partners.
Thinfilm is also developing a reference playground-ready interactive hand-held game that demonstrates how kids can engage with playing card characters both offline and online. Re-writability allows saving of status, scores, and evolution of avatar personalities. The reference game can be ordered now, for delivery in January 2011.
Printed electronics has an absolute cost advantage compared to conventional electronics, such as flash and eeprom. The manufacturing process is substantially cheaper, and material costs are typically lower.
Thinfilm is unique in offering re-writeable non-volatile memories produced in a roll-to-roll printing process. "Our memory technology cost effectively connects the playground to the online world and powers interactivity that has so far been restricted to online games," explains Sutija.
For further information, please contact:
Geir Harald Aase, VP Communications: +47 480 37 571 / geir.aase@thinfilm.no
About Thinfilm and Printed Electronics
Thin Film Electronics ASA ("Thinfilm") is a publicly-listed Norwegian technology company with its head office in Oslo and product development in Linköping, Sweden. Thinfilm is a pioneer in the field of Printed Electronics, and provides fully-printed non-volatile, rewritable memory for applications in toys & games, logistics, sensor, and ID systems.
The Printed Electronics market is still in its early stages, and according to industry analyst group IDTechEx, is expected to grow to more than USD 50 billion in market value over the next ten years. IDTechEx predicts that logic (i.e., memory and transistors) will be the largest segment in this market.
Using printing to manufacture electronic memory makes it possible to reduce the number of process steps, dramatically reduce manufacturing costs, as well as the environmental impact as compared to traditional semiconductor processes. Commercial applications of printed electronics include e-paper, electronic readers, and organic light emitting (OLED) displays. Sensors, batteries, and photovoltaic energy sources are also in development, and together with Thinfilm's memory technology they will open the door to new products and applications.
Memory is an essential part of most electronics. Memory is required for identification, tracking status and history, and is used whenever information is stored. Thinfilm's non-volatile ferroelectric polymer memory technology is well suited for application with other printed electronics devices because power consumption during read and write is negligible, and as it is permanent, no connection to external power is required for data detainment. Also, the current required to write information is so small that operation would be limited by the battery's lifetime and not its capacity.