The Voltera V-One, a high-speed printer that can produce circuit boards in just minutes, has been named as the international winner of the 2015 James Dyson Award.
The James Dyson Award is open to product design, industrial design, and engineering university students – or graduates within the past 4 years – who have studied in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK or US.
Inspired by the compact design of desktop 3D printers, the laptop-sized Voltera V-One was created by a group of students at the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Using different inks, both conductive and insulating, the Voltera V-One creates functional, two-layer circuit boards. The device is also a solder paste dispenser, meaning components can be added to the board, too.
Printed circuit boards are essential for technology, such as smartphones and biomedical devices, however, building them is often a time-consuming, expensive process. The V-One’s portable nature means the same principles that guide 3D printing can create prototype boards in minutes.
The team has been awarded £29,800 by the James Dyson Award – on top of a £331,000 Kickstarter fund already raised.
“The Voltera V-One team is made up of four impressive young graduates,” said James Dyson.
“Their solution makes prototyping electronics easier and more accessible – particularly to students and small businesses. But it also has the potential to inspire many more budding engineers – something I am very passionate about indeed.”
Check out the video below for more information on the Voltera V-One and its team of creators:
