Nokia Morph Concept Phone

Morph is a concept that expresses how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes. It demonstrates what nanotechnology may be able of bring into society. It is capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces. Dr. Bob Iannucci, Chief Technology Officer, Nokia, commented:
"Nokia Research Centre is looking at ways to reinvent the form and function of mobile devices; the Morph concept shows what might be possible".


Inventors

Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, Head of the Nokia Research Center Cambridge UK laboratory commented, "We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. 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 declared in March, 2007. They made agreement to work together on an extensive and long term program of joint research projects. NRC has established a research facility at the University's West Cambridge site and works with several departments. First, they worked with the Nanoscience Center and Electrical Division of the Engineering Department on projects that which are focused on nanotechnology.

The Morph was a joint nanotechnology concept project, developed by Nokia Research Center (NRC) and the University of Cambridge (UK) and was launched 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.


Improving Our Lifestyles

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 better alternative to 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.

The cutting-edge Nokia Morph Concept Phone uses nanotechnology based flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces to produce a mobile device that is stretchable and flexible, enabling the user to transform their mobile device into completely different shapes. It transforms itself into the solid shape to suit your needs.

For example, initially it can start as your normal cell phone in its normal shape, but then unfold into a screen to view movies and other media on. This larger screen would add in input devices such as keyboards and touch pads to allow a better experience and as well can be used for communication. It could then be folded up into a bracelet that you wear on your wrist. As Nokia says, the Morph would, “Allow us to communicate and interact in unprecedented ways.”

Nokia is also imagining built-in solar absorption to charge this gadget, which attached with smaller and longer-lasting batteries, would mean the end of power plugs. Integrated sensors could gather information about the surrounding environment, providing even more data to the user making their lifestyle even easier.

The Morph could even have a self-cleaning surface - just another way of putting nanotechnology to use. It would reduce the chance of corrosion, wear and tear and improve durability. “Nanoflowers” could be used to do this as they naturally repel water, dirt, and even fingerprints!

Think of an iPhone, but with a much cooler interface, much thinner, and able to change into any shape and size including a huge screen for watching movies, playing games and surfing the web. This means no more smudge marks on the screen!


Features

· It is very flexible and will blend effortlessly with our normal life with the stretchable silicon built into it.
· It can clean itself automatically from dust, liquids and even fingerprints with its super hydrophobic “Nanoflowers”.
· With a solar charging option through “Nanograss”, it has proved itself to be very eco friendly.
· With the help of its integrated sensors, they would enable us to choose the things which would be best for our environment and for ourselves.
· It would also have transparent greenish type electronics, in other words, see through.


Transformative Technology

Morph is currently just a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might look, with flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces. Devices based on this concept won't be available for a good seven years at least.

When the technology reaches full development, however, it could transform the world of mobile devices as we know it today, allowing users to transform their handsets into radically different shapes.

It can be transformed into various types of shapes according to the user’s needs such as: Standard mode: The shape of your typical, straight-forward handset.Landscape mode: In this mode, it could analyse things with its nanosensors in great detail and accuracy.
Bracelet mode: Wrist up the phone around your hand just like a watch.


Imitating Spider Silk

Nokia's technology uses Fibril proteins woven into a three-dimensional mesh that reinforces thin elastic structures. The resulting elasticity is very similar to that of spider silk and it will enable the devices to change shapes and organize themselves to adapt to the task at hand.
Users could fold or unfold the device to suit their immediate purpose, whether it's to talk on the phone or use input devices such as keyboards or touch pads. Even the electronics integrated into the device, from interconnects to sensors, would be flexible, Nokia said.
The Morph would also be built from biodegradable materials, making production and recycling much easier.


Operation

Nokia Morph Phone Operating
Nanotechnology enables materials and components that are flexible, stretchable, transparent and remarkably strong. Fibril proteins are woven into a three dimensional mesh that supports thin elastic structures. Using the same principle behind spider silk, this elasticity enables the device to literally change shapes and organize itself to adjust to the task at hand.

Flexible & Changing Design
A folded design would fit easily in a pocket and could be used as a usual handset. An unfolded larger design could display more detailed information, and include devices such as keyboards and touch pads.
Use of biodegradable materials might make production and recycling of devices easier and more ecologically friendly.

Self-Cleaning
Nanotechnology also can be controlled to create self-cleaning surfaces on mobile devices, ultimately reducing corrosion and improving durability. Nanostructured surfaces, such as “Nanoflowers” naturally repel water, dirt, and even fingerprints using the effects that are also seen in natural systems.

Advanced Power Sources
Nanotechnology holds the possibility that the surface of a device will become a natural source of energy by a covering of “Nanograss” structures that gather solar power. At the same time, new high energy density storage materials allow batteries to become smaller and thinner, while also quicker to recharge and able to endure more charging cycles.

Sensing the Environment
Nanosensors would allow users to examine the environment around them in completely new ways from analysing air pollution to getting a sight into bio-chemical traces and processes. New capabilities might be as difficult as helping us monitor evolving conditions in the quality of our surroundings, or as simple as knowing if the fruit we are about to enjoy should be washed before we eat it. Our ability to adjust into our environment in these ways can help us make key decisions that lead our daily actions and eventually can improve our health.


Limitations

Nanotechnology and some of the soon to be utilized flexible screens have their limitations. In order for the screens to remain flexible, they have to be operated within certain ranges of temperatures to keep their flexibility. If the screen was attempted to be flexed in a cold temperature, it would crack the screen. Continual flexing would also eventually crack the screen. Most of these flexible screens will soon be used by many laptop producers which will utilize the next step in HDD drives and the use of the ultra mini disc drive which will be able to hold 10 times the amount of information as the now straight-forward CD/DVD disc. At the size of only 2", the nano drive itself will make these devices extremely expensive over the next 5 years.


Costs
I believe that when this amazing technology is made open to the public, the cost will be reasonably high because it seems that this phone is very hard to manufacture. Although Nokia hopes that the development of the Nokia Morph Concept Phone will lead to low-cost devices.