A University of Washington team wants to simplify the process for discovering detrimental leaks by developing “smart” paper that can sense the presence of water. The paper, laced with conductive nanomaterials, can be employed as a switch, turning on or off an LED light or an alarm system indicating the absence or presence of water.
Funding for this research came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, McIntire Stennis project, and from the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.