Cambridge Team Develops Roll-up Laptop Metal Sheet Screens

A Cambridge team of engineers have developed metal structures that can morph from flat screens into tubes and other shapes that could form the basis for electronic displays. These screens could then be rolled-up and placed in a bag or pocket.

The metal sheets are made from copper alloys that can “snap” from one shape into another, from a flat sheet, to a coil, bent or twisted structure. The team got their idea from children’s toy “flick” or “snap” bracelets which transform from a straight strip into a coil around the wrist. These metal structures could also be used for re-usable packaging, roll-up keyboards and self-erecting temporary shelters.

Dr. Keith Seffen, the lead researcher from the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University said: “Flexible electronics is a burgeoning area, people are looking into making very thin flexible displays that could be used for electronic newspapers, or other portable electronic media like a roll-up laptop or compact mobile phone.”
What’s the catch? One would think that this future light and easy to carry around “flexible electronics” technology gadgets usually come with a big price tag. Well that’s not the case with the Laptop Metal Sheet Screen! According to Dr. Seffen, his structures are produced from one sheet of metal that are quick and cheap to produce. This concludes that it is relatively cheap for us to buy. In addition, this roll-up screen is made up of material that could be used for several different applications that support flexible electronics, so one screen could be used in multiple ways.

How does it work? The team has worked out a way by which the shape and the stress interact with each other in a positive way, and like a ruler, when the material is bent the stress within the material increases. But rather than going on to break, the stress level reaches a midway point then changes to force the structure into a different shape.

The bottom line is you can carry your laptop screen in your pocket! Amazing!