Our phones are already our closest companions, so why not make them just a little more human?
Marc Teyssier and his colleagues at Telecom Paris created an artificial skin for mobile phones that is realistically flesh-like — and can feel your touch.
“I wanted to pinch my phone,” Teyssier told New Scientist.
The smart protective shell, which covers the back of the phone, has a squishy interface that, when plugged into a computer, can be used as a laptop touchpad or a remote control for all the typical touch-commands, such as tapping to select, sliding to scroll or pinching to zoom in and out.
On its own, the cellphone skin also functions when touched from the back. For example, various finger motions will elicit certain emotions, like stroking, which is meant to emulate comfort.
There are two prototypes: one with a smooth surface and one with a more human-like texture. Its functionality comes from malleable electromagnetic copper wire hidden between two layers of stretchy silicone.
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