Peratech (www.peratech.co.uk) is very pleased to be associated with the Young Foresight Programme. The company’s philosophy is to actively encourage the younger generation, as they are the designers and developers of future innovations.

Peratech was formed in 1997 and is creating worldwide interest in our new electrically conductive composites known as QTC. These composites provides new tactile ergonomic interfaces to be designed and developed, allowing people exciting and intuitive ways of interacting with the modern electronic world around them. QTC is a flexible material that can be made to any shape or applied onto practically any surface.

The name QTC was chosen because of the Quantum Tunnelling that occurs within the Composite itself. Normally, for electrical current to pass between two points the points must be joined by a wire. The wire provides a continuous pathway to allow the current to flow. QTCs can be thought of as millions of these points dispersed in rubber. The remarkable thing about QTCs is that there are no ‘wires’ connecting the points - they are all separated from one another. However, current can still flow through the material.

If points are extremely close together, but not touching, Quantum Tunnelling takes place - current ‘tunnels’ from one point to another. It is because of this tunnelling conduction that QTCs can change from insulator to conductor. When the materials are pressed, the points get closer together and the amount of tunnelling increases, so more current flows. When you stop pressing, the points move further apart again, and the current stops flowing.

How would you use QTC? What products could you imagine using this new technology?