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Video: Nokia Stretchable Electronic Skin: The future of mobile phones?

Categories: Headline Featured, Nokia
By: , IntoMobile
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010 at 3:37 AM
Screen shot 2010-09-28 at 1.34.14 PM

Several years ago a concept video (below) went around the internet that showed a future Nokia device bending, folding, and doing things that today are still not possible due to limited advances in both circuit and battery technology. Now that doesn’t mean Nokia isn’t trying to make fantasy into reality however. In the video above a demo of “stretchable electronic skin” shows what happens when evaporated gold vapor is combined with standard silicon to produce something akin to a wet tissue after you blow your nose. Sounds nasty, it even looks nasty, but once you get past the super early alpha stage prototype appearance, your mind can start coming up with all the radical possibilities this electricity conducting snot rag can offer.

Take jewelry for example. Those Live Strong bracelets are still popular, so imagine making them into something that could be used to control your mobile phone. It’ll recharge via kinetic energy, similar to how many watches on the market already do today, and it’ll communicate with your device via ultra low power Bluetooth. No dates were given as to when we can expect to see this sort of technology on retail shelves, but if you think back 5, even 10 years ago, about how pathetic and limited mobile phones were, then you look at something like the Apple iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S, or Nokia N8, then you start accepting that this kind of stuff really isn’t that far off.

The best uses of technology are the ones that the original designers never intended, so what will other firms, firms who make products other than mobile phones and mobile phone related products, come up with? Clothes, televisions, cars, walls, chairs, dining room tables, all with an electronic patch of skin somewhere that can be used as a method of interaction.

[Via: Nokia Conversations]

About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • mamma

    Stefan,
    Why don”t you try to re-create a RingNokia style blog?

  • http://www.intomobile.com Stefan Constantinescu

    because Nokia isn’t interesting anymore and the “style” that you speak of lives on over here. jaded, cynical, skeptical, i’ve got batches of it lined up for whoever wants a bite.

  • http://www.happytoes123.blog.co.uk Happytoes

    This type of thing has being floating around for years, but if you think about it in a practical sense, there is no way it could work.

    just think of typing a text message or email out on this when you have the keyboard up the screen would be a thin slither at the top of the screen, how about recharging it? or conecting to a computer. At this very moment in time this type of idea would not work.

  • http://www.hghreviews.org/ Bob

    i keep losing or breaking my mobile phones. Nokia just make some sort of chip i can embed in my head to make phone calls.

  • http://www.idcredit.org/ Piter

    that is one of the most awesome things ever. I cannot wait for this to become the norm, I’ll be like Leela from Futurama with her big cuff PDA thing!

  • http://www.tirmizivlog.com Tirmizi

    Very interesting developement , however, i don’t see this happening fast …