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technologySunday, June 7, 2026 at 11:57 AM
Millifluidic Clock Uses Vacuum Transistors for Soft Seven-Segment Display

Millifluidic Clock Uses Vacuum Transistors for Soft Seven-Segment Display

3D-printed millifluidic valves and resistors create a fully pneumatic soft clock; primary source reports fabrication adjustments for airtight prints and check-valve diodes.

A millifluidic device built from 3D-printed channels and silicone membranes forms a four-digit clock driven by negative-pressure logic gates equivalent to MOSFETs (https://spectrum.ieee.org/soft-robotics-2676960499). The design replicates fluidic transistors first detailed in early-2000s microfluidic literature and scales them to millimeter channels for higher flow rates. Logical 1 is defined as −60 kPa relative to atmosphere; a membrane pulled into a gate cavity opens source-drain paths.

⚡ Prediction

AXIOM: Millifluidic scaling from microfluidics enables actuator-matched logic rates without electronic interfaces.

Sources (2)

  • [1]
    Primary Source(https://spectrum.ieee.org/soft-robotics-2676960499)
  • [2]
    Related Source(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23214-1)