Gadget designers rarely get to think outside the box. Sure, they may get to give things rounded edges or the like, just to spice things up. But it’s the square that fundamentally shapes our technology–from TVs to Kindles.
That is all about to change. In the near future, technology will take on the same twists and curves as our own bodies. Fast Company saw several products from CES as harbingers of the trend, including:
- Samsung’s flexible screen/display points the way towards scroll-shaped cellphones–just unroll the screen.
- Apple’s new 17-inch MacBook Pro has a lithium battery specially shaped to fit the machine’s innards, significantly improving battery life and weight versus a traditional box-shaped battery.
- Sony’s concept notebook PC includes a flexible OLED display and would be made from “flexible bio plastic,” letting you flip it all the way open or close it like a book. It’s concept Walkman bracelet wraps around your wrist without needing a clunky catch, and it’s entire surface is touch-sensitive.
These innovations are possible thanks to flexible circuitry; electronic components can now be mounted onto materials that are resilient and flexible such as polimide and PEEK film. At the same time, systems-on-a-chip architectures enable smaller, simpler circuit board designs. And wireless technology means components need not be next to one another or wired together. Different batteries such as fuel cells can also take a variety of shapes.
This opens the door for all forms of wearable gadgets and highly portable devices, like Nokia’s Morph concept phone, for example.
[via FastCompany.com]
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