BioLIG: Functionalizing Biocomposites with Laser-induced Graphene for Bio-Rapid Prototyping of Electronics
Name
3746059.3747669.pdf
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12.55 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
8ff1f0a48ad1bc2c85c5b7f23e46942d
Author(s)
Li, Yuqing Lucy
Kubu?ov?, Vlasta
Babatain, Wedyan
Labrune, Jean-Baptiste
Widder, Sage
Sun, Bernice
Forman, Jack
Ishii, Hiroshi
Date Issued
September 27, 2025
Publisher
ACM|The 38th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology
Citation
Yuqing Lucy Li, Vlasta Kubušová, Wedyan Babatain, Jean-Baptiste Labrune, Sage A Widder, Bernice Sun, Jack Forman, and Hiroshi Ishii. 2025. BioLIG: Functionalizing Biocomposites with Laser-induced Graphene for Bio-Rapid Prototyping of Electronics. In Proceedings of the 38th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST '25). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 107, 1–18.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
In HCI, there is a rapidly growing interest in prototyping with conductive bio-based materials. However, the methods for conductive making of bio-based materials to suit the diverse needs of makers remain underexplored. We introduce BioLIG, a fabrication framework that functionalizes affordable and optimized bio-based substrates with a conventional CO2 laser to create highly conductive traces for sensors and circuits. To illustrate the framework, we first contribute five bio-based materials: three sheets (paper-like, fabric-like, plastic-like) and two paints (lignin-ink, chitosan-stain). A formal electrical characterization of our conductors highlight that they surpass activated charcoal, are on par with carbon black, and one ink is even comparable with the most common synthetic material used for laser-induced graphene. Then, we present three biodegradable coatings that ensure functionality and durability and balance protection with controlled degradation. Next, we build upon our sheets, paints, and coatings to form multifunctional biodegradable biocomposites and implement five end-to-end applications. Lastly, we define three strategies of how the framework supports a circular making culture. BioLIG enables accessible, fast, and bio-rapid prototyping, adding new directions for designing sustainable electronics with environmental integration.
Description
UIST ’25, Busan, Republic of Korea
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Media Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Bits and Atoms
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Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1145/3746059.3747669
