Will you soon be using a bendable cellphone? It’s a design concept that Nokia has strengthened when it recently demonstrated how mobile devices can be manipulated into new shapes using nanotechnology.
Digital Journal — Imagine a cellphone bending to any shape you want. Imagine folding it like a piece of paper so it can fit perfectly in your pants pocket. Or what if the cellphone of the future had a see-through screen so you can marvel at the gadgetry inside? It’s less of a dream and more of a reality for researchers at Nokia, who have unveiled a nanotechnology concept called Morph.
A joint project between the Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge, Morph wants to demonstrate how rigid materials used in cellphones can actually be manipulated to become new and unique devices. Using nanotechnology, this project plans to create flexible materials that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, head of the NRC Cambridge UK laboratory, said in a press release:
“We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. The research we are carrying out is fundamental to this as we seek a safe and controlled way to develop and use new materials.
So how can Nokia produce bendable cellphones? The concept is preliminary, but scientists can create smaller electrical circuits on a rubbery substrate. There is also the possibility of making the actual circuits flexible.
Nokia’s Morph phone demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.
This kind of advancement is still years away. As the Nokia team cautioned, “elements of Morph might be available to integrate into handheld devices within 7 years, though initially only at the high-end.”
Nokia is already on the leading edge of innovative cellphone concepts — late last year, the company unveiled the Eco Sensor cellphone, which includes a device to analyze the user’s health and surrounding environment.
Unlike the Eco Sensor concept, Nokia’s Morph is available for public display. It will be featured at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City until May 12, as part of the Design and Elastic Mind exhibition.
