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Easy-to-use duct tape could revolutionise water leak detection
A water leak detection tape developed at Aalto University identifies leaks early. The flexible, low-cost solution could reduce costly building damage.
Water damage and mould-related problems in buildings cause substantial costs every year. In Finland alone, an estimated nearly one hundred water damage incidents occur every day.
The durable and flexible Prinsys leak sensor, developed at Aalto University, makes use of printed electronics. The conductive tracks in the sensor tape react to moisture and send an alert to a mobile app. The tape contains no harmful chemicals or rare-earth metals. Researchers have tested the water leak detection tape in hotels and care homes for older people.
'Solutions currently available on the market monitor only a very limited area, whereas the water leak detection tape can be installed flexibly over distances of up to tens of metres within building structures,' says doctoral researcher Muhammad Tanweer.
