The world's first smartphone "ReFlex" to be flexibly bent freely will be announced

A smartphone that can be bent with Gagnyugna like paper or vinyl "ReFlex"Was announced. ReFlex can be operated not only by bending a liquid crystal display capable of full color display but also by bending it.

ReFlex: Revolutionary flexible smartphone allows users to feel the buzz by bending their apps - Human Media Lab
http://www.hml.queensu.ca/blog/reflex

You can check the bending of ReFlex with the following movie. By bending the screen, it is like turning pages as if to read real books, and manipulating games.

ReFlex: Revolutionary flexible smartphone allows users to feel the buzz by bending their apps. - YouTube


The act of turning over a book of paper is an indispensable act in reading. This "turning" actionImpress the act of readingThere are also views that it is becoming a factor.


On the other hand, electronic books that swipe the display with fingers can be considered to have fewer things to remember "reading experience".


It is ReFlex that we may be able to fill the gap of such feeling. This device adopts LG's full-color 720p flexible OLED touch screen, and the left and right parts of the display have built-in system equipped with Android 4.4 KitKat.


In the movie, you can see how the page of the book displayed on the screen flickers by bending the ReFlex gently, you can also see that click sounds are heard at the same time as displayed at the bottom of the screen.


When ReFlex is bent to the opposite side, the page turns in the opposite direction this time.


This operation is controlled by a bending sensor built in the back side of the display detecting movement. In addition, a tactile actuator is built in the part where the finger is placed, and by touching the page it conveys the feeling of "clicking", it reproduces the feeling of turning the page.


This operation method can be applied in a wide range. As shown below, in the game "Angry Bird" of the smartphone, it is possible to manipulate the movement of pulling the rubber with aiming with the bending condition of ReFlex. At this time, the tactile actuator reproduces the squeaking of the rubber "the last limit", and it seems that it corresponds to a complicated waveform which is not just "click sound".


Android and touch sensor are carried, and of course it is also possible to talk. Although wrinkles on the display visible on the surface of the screen are worrisome at this stage, this is expected to be improved and evolve to a general level of smartphones in the future.


This device was developed by the research team of Human Media Lab of Queen's University of Canada. Dr. Roel Vertegaal, who headed the research at the laboratory, said ReFlex "Reveals a completely new physical interaction with a flexible smartphone," said the manipulation by bending and the feedback by the tactile actuator It is an example showing the possibility of an interactive device that brings about.

According to Dr Vertegaal, ReFlex will be available to general users within 5 years. It is interesting whether the day will come when it will become popular as a new technology for smartphones that is beginning to slow down the evolutionary speed.

· Additional notes 2016/02/23 10:13
At the "Mobile World Congress 2016" being held in Barcelona, ​​a prototype of the display mounted on a smartphone turning with Guignaggua was displayed. You can check from the following movie how you actually have a display that bends with a glance.

FlexEnable's flexible display - YouTube


Guneya Nya Screen that FlexEnable had exhibited is an organic EL display.


I found a prototype in my hand. Content is displayed on the left side of the screen, and a menu is displayed on the right side.


In Mobile World Congress 2016, besides FlexEnable, LG was displaying a display that could be rolled like a newspaper.


According to FlexEnable, it may be that devices with the display may appear within 18 months.