There was an article in New Scientist about Cotton transistors being woven into circuits. As I read the article, I thought “There are easier ways to do those things”. Especially as I got to the end and they mentioned weaving “a carpet could count the number of people in a room or sense the temperature”.
But then I started thinking about how we use cotton for clothing and other ubiquitous uses. It’s there anyway and can be used for other sensing purposes. Sure it may not be as functional and definitely not as fast as traditional electronics, but since the platform would be there anyway – why not?
This seemed a good example of one of those innovator’s dilemma issues, where a low functionality but low cost (or in this case high likelihood of presence) may be enough to create a market where one didn’t really exist before.
Looking for these kinds of opportunities is one way the IT organization can add high-value to business. It can see the forest, the trees and the future building.
