Toronto: The world’s first foldable smartphone has been developed by a team of scientists. Unveiled at the ACM CHI 2014 conference in Toronto, the shape-changing smartphone alters into a tablet and a notebook using a set of screens and hinges.
PaperFold allows users to fold open up to three flexible electrophoretic displays to provide extra screen real estate, the amount of space available on a display, when needed. Displays are detachable so users can fold the device into various shapes that can range from an ultra-notebook shape to a foldout map.
Dr Vertegaal, a professor in the School of Computing and Director of the Human Media Lab at Queen’s University, Canada, said the device allows multiple form factors, “providing support for mobile tasks that require large screen real estate or keyboards on demand, while retaining an ultra-compact, ultra-thin and lightweight form factorâ€. Â
PaperFold automatically recognises its shape and changes its graphics to provide different functionality upon shape changes. By flattening PaperFold’s three displays, the user changes views to a Google map that spans all screens. Shaping PaperFold into a convex globe shows the map in Google Earth view.
Folding PaperFold into the shape of a 3D building on the map will pick up a Google SketchUp model of the building and turn the device into an architectural model that can be 3D printed.
Researchers said the inspiration for PaperFold came from its namesake: paper. Vertegaal said the smartphone adopts folding techniques that makes paper versatile, employing them to change views or functionality of a smartphone, “as well as alter its screen real estate in a flexible manner. PaperFold demonstrates how form could equal function in malleable mobile devicesâ€.
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