Raphael Salgado
06-09-2006, 06:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/08/sony-patents-fold-up-origami-gadgetry/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/08/...igami-gadgetry/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"No, not that Origami. Sony is taking the term a bit more literally, and working on a technology to allow a device to be folded up to fit in your pocket, but which when unfolded becomes rigid for use. The whole unit, body and screen, would be made from a flexible material and contain conductive rubber bracing struts with some gel of aluminosilicate particles suspended in silicone oil mixed in for good measure. When zapped with a little bit of electricity, the struts harden almost instantly, allowing you to use the gadget in its proper state."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/salgado-20060609-sonyorigami.jpg" /><br /><br />Well, this is certainly an interesting concept that reminds me of the <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8721&feedId=online-news_rss20">Smart Armor</a> used in the Turin Winter Olympics. Even taking a small piece of that technology for mobile devices could make the HTC Universal look like a bulky laptop. Imagine having your PDA wrapped around your arm like a sweatband, then unravel flat for use. 8) Though the <a href="http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220060099808%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20060099808&RS=DN/20060099808">patent is fairly recent</a>, I hope Sony can publicly show something more than a diagram soon.