NTT DoCoMo bringing self-healing phones to Japan, courtesy of Nissan
By Will Park on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 11:56 AM PST In Announcements, DoCoMo
What if your next cellphone could heal minor scratches and scuffs all by itself? Well, then you’re probably somewhere in Japan. NTT DoCoMo (NYSE: DCM) has announced that it will be using Nissan’s “Scratch Shield” paint, which was developed for cars, in future mobile phones. The high-tech coating apparently “self-heals fine scratches” when exposed to sunlight, repairing minor to moderate scratches on a handset’s exterior.
We bathe our cars in mineral-free water, slather them in exotic waxes and synthetic sealers and generally baby them throughout their lives. Our cellphones, however, take a beating every single day. They get tossed into a purses filled with keys and nail clippers, pushed into already crowded pant pockets, dropped on concrete – it’s no wonder people around the world spend billions a year to protect their devices. The “Scratch Shield” clear coat protects mobile phones from scratches by automatically repairing them. Depending on the severity of the scratch, healing time can range from overnight to several days. But, there’s a catch, if the scratch goes deeper than the clear coat, the scratch won’t heal on its own.
It’s good to see NTT DoCoMo bringing this technology to the mobile space. Unfortunately, there are no plan to ship handsets coated in “Scratch Shield” paint anywhere outside Japanese borders. That might be reason enough to move to the island nation.
[Via: core77]
This self-healing technology is proof of the vital role that cell phones play in today’s society. The purpose of the cell phone has evolved greatly within the last few years. They are no longer used strictly to make a phone call or send a text, but to access the internet, play games, take notes, and so on. Because of this strong attachment and reliance on the cell phone, it is common for people to feel that their phone represents themselves. This feeling is manifested in the type of phone a person owns. People are constantly swapping their “old” phones for the newest, trendiest ones, in order to physically display their wealth. Japan’s new self-healing technology is another option for people to portray themselves in the best light, other than buying a completely new phone. By owning a scratch-free phone, people will be more inclined to own theirs for a longer amount of time, without feeling out of date. This technology exemplifies the importance of the cell phone in everyday life.
I cant help but feel that this paint technology is probably not exactly environmentally friendly – perhaps the reason why its not going to leave Japan.