Why it matters: Electronics, in general, are typically stiff and unbending due to the extensive use of brittle materials. However, one maker seems determined to change that with the 'Flexduino' – a fully functional Arduino Uno clone built on a flexible PCB substrate.
The brainchild of developer and design engineer Rajesh K T, the Flexduino is so well-made that it could almost be mistaken for an official product from the Arduino team. The key difference, of course, is that this board can bend and twist into shapes that would shatter a normal rigid PCB.
Rajesh used a flexible PCB substrate to achieve this, rather than the traditional fiberglass. While companies like PCBWay have offered flexible PCB manufacturing services for some time now, these are typically used for things like flat cables. The Flexduino, however, takes things to another level by functioning as a full-fledged development board.
At its core, the Flexduino is essentially a clone of the classic Arduino Uno dev board. However, instead of using the standard ATmega328PB microcontroller chip, Rajesh opted for a low-profile, surface-mount version of the same chip. This change allowed him to eliminate the rigid DIP package that would have restricted the board's flexibility.
Aside from this difference, the Flexduino's PCB also has a distinctive yellowish-amber tint compared to the original's signature blue. It's also extremely thin, measuring just 1mm thick. As a fun touch, the developer even had 'Flexduino' printed on the board.
Rajesh shared a video demonstrating the board in action. It powered an RGB LED and ran sample code without any issues. Although there were a few minor compromises, such as the lack of a ground plane, it performs just like a standard Arduino.
Of course, while the PCB itself can bend, the actual electronic components remain rigid. Making those flexible is an area of active research, with teams developing technologies like stretchable batteries, rollable displays, and even flexible processors. Combining all of these innovations could lead to a truly flexible, unbreakable electronic device.
For now, however, the Flexduino serves as a cool proof-of-concept for flexible PCB design. The entire process is documented on Rajesh's YouTube channel for other makers to follow. Notably, the project isn't open-source yet, so you may not be able to directly access the files Rajesh used.
Image credit: Edison Science Corner