Imagine a wallpaper that can prevent a fire from spreading and sound the alarm.
You may not have to imagine it much longer, because scientists are developing just that.
The smart home safety decor is a project Shanghai’s Institute of Ceramics. Researchers there are developing a new breed of wallpaper composed of graphene oxide and hydroxyapatite nanowires. That composition would allow it to detect fire and double as a retardant. What's more, the wallpaper will be environmentally friendly.
This is a major breakthrough, considering most of today's commercial wallpaper is made of highly flammable materials, which can often cause a fire to spread. The research also suggests that widespread adoption of this upcoming product could reduce property loss.
Not only will this new wallpaper be safer and smarter, it will also be on trend when it comes to design and come in a variety of prints and colours.
