Touchscreen Made of Ice

by Huei

Monday, 22 November 2010 03:38 PM

Who says touchscreens can only be made on glass displays for your phones, thanks to a bunch of Nokia employees in Finland who were bored of the cold weather, touchscreen can even made of ice; not just any touchscreen, but multi-touch displays. While these displays are most unlikely to appear on your phones especially with our weather, it was reported that the experiment could create some potential to create interactive displays for cold countries.

The touch capability is made possible thanks to near- infrared lights and cameras for a more cost-effective alternative to sensors. The team made a large 2 meter x 1.5 meter display out of 50cm square ice that were sliced apart and smoothed using heat gun. Touching on the display is sensed using reflections of the infrared lights which will then be transmitted to a PC to track movement and size. A projector will then be used to project imagery feedback beneath the object so a user knows when the device is working. Unfortunately though, ice will limit the accuracy of the display. Check out the video of the technology in action on NewScientist.

(Source: Engadget, NewScientist)

credit : Lowyat.Net