Gizmodo
Nokia's new Morph concept phone would use nanotechnology to give it a flexible body with a transparent display that could be re-shaped depending on the user's needs, a far cry from today's solid and chunky devices. Even the electronics inside it would be transparent and flexible, so the whole phone may be twisted and stretched into bracelet shapes or tablet form, and nanotech cleverness means it would even clean itself. Developed in cooperation with Cambridge University, this glimpse of a distant future is now on display at the MoMA in New York. Jump for video and yadda-yadda press release.
Nokia and University of Cambridge launch the Morph - a nanotechnology concept deviceNew York, US and Espoo, Finland — Morph, a joint nanotechnology concept, developed by Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge (UK) - was launched today alongside the "Design and the Elastic Mind" exhibition, on view from February 24 to May 12, 2008, at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Morph features in both the exhibition catalog and on MoMA's official website.
Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes. It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.
Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, Head of the NRC Cambridge UK laboratory, Nokia, commented: "We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. The techniques we are developing might one day mean new possibilities in terms of the design and function of mobile devices. The research we are carrying out is fundamental to this as we seek a safe and controlled way to develop and use new materials."
Professor Mark Welland, Head of the Department of Engineering's Nanoscience Group at the University of Cambridge and University Director of Nokia-Cambridge collaboration added "Developing the Morph concept with Nokia has provided us with a focus that is both artistically inspirational but, more importantly, sets the technology agenda for our joint nanoscience research that will stimulate our future work together."
The partnership between Nokia and the University of Cambridge was announced in March, 2007 - an agreement to work together on an extensive and long term programme of joint research projects. NRC has established a research facility at the University's West Cambridge site and collaborates with several departments - initially the Nanoscience Center and Electrical Division of the Engineering Department - on projects that, to begin with, are centered on nanotechnology.
Elements of Morph might be available to integrate into handheld devices within 7 years, though initially only at the high-end. However, nanotechnology may one day lead to low cost manufacturing solutions, and offers the possibility of integrating complex functionality at a low price.
Comments
welcome to year 2100
The distant future, the year 2000.
By the time technology can do that, I doubt we'll be using cell phones.
This is like someone developing a solar-powered gramophone. "In the future, you won't have to turn this crank to hear your favorite rags! We'll be able to harness the power of the sun!"
Also, really, how hard is this to "develop"?
"Let's make a concept cell phone. That stretches! And cleans itself! How? Why, nanotechnology! DONE!"
@Calhoun:
True.
But during brainstorms you're not allowed to erase a concept because its impossible.
If you'd do that designers would never create anything new.
Actually, I think it pretty likely this type of device would be possible in 10 years or so. In fact, you could probably do a one off with most of this tech right now for a CRAZY expensive price. Research labs have already produced flexible displays, roll up displays, transparent transistors and electronics, self cleaning materials (including both cloth and glass...which, yes, use nanotech) and helf healing materials are also in development.
The question of IF such a device would be made is harder to answer. Certainly these technologies will be used in various novel ways, and that is the point of something like this...to show possible design and functionality directions...that's it.
Great concept. I just hope it doesn't come with Windows. jk. =)
@Dynastius: roll-up displays are one thing but stretchy ones, that's another matter entirely.
reminds me of Ultraviolet.
@Step666: Actually look up stretchable silicon in Google. There is a nice article on Technology Review discussing it...estimated to be 5 years away in 2006 (to get to flexible integrated circuits rather than the simple flexible diodes they were using as a proof of concept at that time). Like I said...10 years and all this stuff is doable.
Why the hell does Nokia put out more concept phons than actual phones they can produce in ones lifetime?
How about concentrating on updating the E70 or E90 phone with something other than a new keyboard.
Sweeet.
But any way it can be in a better color?
@Stacky Botrus:
Nokia is the largest manufacturer of cameras in the world.
Nokia is the largest manufacturer of music players in the world.
Nokia makes more stuff than people think.
yeah right. I think the Germans have a word for this:
it's the Eier legende Woll-Milch-Sau. Heck, they could have claimed it had some Green Lantern powers as well.
Now, don't think I'm being sarcastic here. Green Lantern is as valid and original an idea as that phonie there. And they're both going to be real one day. Just like Astroboy.
I've said it before and i'll say it again: i HATE concepts. Why? Because they never see the light of the day. They are like those futuristic UFO cars made in the '50s for auto shows. Meh...
"Even the electronics inside it would be transparent and flexible,"
This is a huge advance in what we commonly know a "vaporware".
It's will know as "Emporer's New... Vaporwear".
I...LOVE...concepts. Love, love, LOVVVVVE 'em! Sure, most of 'em won't ever see the light of day but that's not the point. It's all about the brainstorming, bay-beeeeee! "Get those creative juices flowing"..."think outside the box" and all that. If you're happy with evolutionary advances then by all means stick close to stuff that can be done today. Personally, I love to see imaginative folks keep throwing crazy shit like this against the wall until something sticks. Plus, it gives folks like me another outlet for producing those spiffy 3D renders... d(^_^)b
correction... AS "vaporware". IT will BE known as...
=^P
Awesome concept. Look at my new, nanotechamagiggythingabob!
One problem. I still cannot get a good signal! WTF.
If we're going to have unfettered imagineering then I'd like to propose a mobile phone that's also a time machine and teleporter. Oh, it'll also have a built in medical scanner with bluetooth 12.2 remote in-body nanobots that would cure all known diseases.
Ok, I've no idea how to build this but why should that get in the way of a good press release?
Damn, I wish concepts were real sometimes.
@DeadGhost25: "I've said it before and i'll say it again: i HATE concepts. Why? Because they never see the light of the day."
Dude, no less than the wheel, itself, was a proof of concept for over a thousand years, and then nothing more than a patent application for another 500. Then, thanks to a boutique store in downtown Mesopotamia that started producing them around 10,000 B.C., they eventually became increasingly popular and are now used in the drive trains of most modern automobiles. All I can say is thank God you weren't driving your waaaaaaaaambulance in ancient Mesopotamia, or the world might not be driving around in cars today.
Concepts are born out of major brain storming sessions, and concepts fires others imagination, sometimes producing newer products even though they are at tangents
Far-off technology met with a dated and literal aesthetic doesn't a good idea make. This concept should have been more about User Interface which is where future design challenges lie, not product design.
@Frigg, nice funny reply and agree with you, but the thing is this kind of device couldn't be done in our times. It's something that could be done in the future, but so it is with Luke's lightsaber or something. It's just pure science fiction. Over the years i've saw so many nice concepts and such, that never saw the light of day.
Personally i'll prefer some brainstorming on some actual, realistic, doable, commercially viable products, not on some nice renderings that any smart kid could do.
I think this is awseome. Who says concepts don't see the light of day? Don't your remeber the Aeon Nokia concept? It was made quite a qhile ago. Guess what it had a full-screen touch screen (well mainly, phones still aren't using fuel cells for abttery) and now look full screen touchphones are EVERYWHERE! I'd say this type of thing will be out by 2013 latest. But probably like 2011 :D
superhydrophobic.
if it's so water repellent, will that be enough to dive into a pool with it?
if so, and if production can start sometime in the next 15 years, i'm going all nokia from now on.
This would be a surprize to me... if I didn't think of something like that first.
I mean, the first thing that came to mind when I first read about OLEDs... several years ago when there wasn't even a product that used technology... was not a cellphone, but a flexible laptop that you could fold to carry around.
It will be awesome if they manage to make this work soon enough. But if it takes too long, something else might replace it... like normal glasses (or even lenses) that uses OLED.
@DeadGhost25: Well, it's not really like Luke's lightsaber, is it. There was a special shown (re-shown?) on History Channel the other day about the "science" of Star Wars. None of the scientists interviewed could extrapolate any such device out of any currently accepted knowledge and/or theories of how things work no matter how far they tried stretching things. These concepts at least have SOME basis in current thinking. Unfortunately, "current thinking" would seem to preclude any possibility of LittleJon's admittedly drool-inducing time machine/teleporter/nanobot wonder machine, dammit. :-)
Sweet, Teleport me one of these and an Iron Man suit, and we'll be good. Thanks.
Yeah this for the people who didn't read the guy who had to Nokia to court over his bad cell phone they wouldn't fix, then even with a court order to seize their computers, then they would pay without forcing him into a gag order. Oh yeah go Nokia...
@Hello_Newman: Lol I read it but thus far I've had absolutely no bad experiences with Nokia so why should I change my judgement of them. They can't control all there employies... Although that guy did go to the top... Yeah well they;re nice to me
WITCHCRAFT!
"Morph will help us in our everyday life."
How thoughtful.
Yeah, the Morph is way out there, but this kind of visioning really says something about how we get to this point in the future. We may never actually see a morph in real life, but over time aspects of the morph will gradually make it into our handsets. Read more about it on our futurists' blog, ChangeWaves: [changewaves.socialtechnologies.com]
Comment on this post
Reply by EmailLogin with your username and password below. Or comment on this post via email.
Forgot your username or password? New User?