Review By Ekaterina Kohlwes – Mindful Design Consulting
With the appearance of touch screens, IPhones and IPads what else can we get excited about? I am always fascinated by futuristic movies showing holographic projections of control screens in a thin air floating over work stations. Today I want to talk about similar interactive technology – a multi-touch interactive screen only on larger scale. The film was designed by Displax and is called Skin. And here is how you could use it on your next Interior Design Project.
Skin is a flexible, thinner-than-paper transparent polymer film that can be laid over any non-conductive surface to create a multi-touch interactive screen. What fascinates me the most is that the surface can be transparent with translucent film over it making it look holographic.
The technology is quite complex, similar to B-Surfaces, a “controller is able to process multiple input signals it receives from a grid of nanowires embedded in a polymer film attached to the enabled surface. Each time a finger is placed on the screen or a user blows on the surface, a small electrical disturbance is caused. The micro-processor controller analyses this data and decodes the location of each input on that grid to track the finger and air-flow movements.”
Here is an overview of the product from the company’s website:
Benefits:
- Turn any non metallic surface interactive
- Display interactive contents in unusual places closer to the users
- Let your audience engage with your space and your products
Features:
- Flexible transparent interactive film
- Interactivity goes through non metallic materials up to 25 mm of thickness
- Sizes from 30” to 116”*
Material: Flexible and transparent electronics polymer
Detection method: Nanowires grid technology polymer-based
Connection: USB and Serial (different sizes)
I personally see application of this film Skin in museums, schools, at restaurants (Maybe ordering your food on walls next to you?) What other crazy ideas can you propose?
Learn more about the Skin HERE.
