The Morph, A Flexible Wearable Phone From Nokia And University of Cambridge

Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge are Morphing into the future with a concept cell phone called Morph. The Morph is featured in an online display presented in conjunction with "Design and the Elastic Mind," (which itself is a new experience to watch over the net. Follow the link to watch the exhibition online and prepare to spend some time!) scheduled to run through May 12 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Morph, the joint nanotechnology concept, launches today alongside the new Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City in which it is profiled. The exhibition will be on view from 24 February to 12 May 2008.

Morph is a concept that demonstrates how future mobile devices might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes. It demonstrates the ultimate functionality that nanotechnology might be capable of delivering: flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces.

Professor Mark Welland, Head of the Department of Engineering's Nanoscience Group at the University of Cambridge and University Director of Nokia-Cambridge collaboration, commented: Developing the Morph concept with Nokia has provided us with a focus that is both artistically inspirational but, more importantly, sets the technology agenda for our joint nanoscience research that will stimulate our future work together.

Dr. Tapani Ryhanen, Head of the NRC Cambridge UK laboratory, Nokia, added: We hope that this combination of art and science will showcase the potential of nanoscience to a wider audience. The techniques we are developing might one day mean new possibilities in terms of the design and function of mobile devices. The research we are carrying out is fundamental to this as we seek a safe and controlled way to develop and use new materials.

The partnership between the University of Cambridge and Nokia was announced in March, 2007 - an agreement to work together on an extensive and long term programme of joint research projects. NRC has established a research facility at the University's West Cambridge site and collaborates with several departments initially the Nanoscience Center and Electrical Division of the Engineering Department on projects that, to begin with, are centered on nanotechnology.

The Nanoscience Centre provides open access to over 300 researchers from a variety of University Departments to the nanofabrication and characterisation facilities housed in a combination of Clean Rooms and low noise laboratories. Research is aimed especially at multidisciplinary projects where engineering, biology, physics, chemistry and materials science meet.

The Electrical Engineering Division of the Department of Engineering builds on Cambridge's history of world-leading research in Photonics and Electronics by significantly enhancing collaboration with industry and by providing a focus for multidisciplinary research involving over 200 engineers, as well as chemists, physicists, materials scientists and bioscientists. It includes the 'Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics' and the 'Cambridge Integrated Knowledge Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies for Photonics and Electronics'.

A video is available to watch at Nokia.

For further information, please contact the University of Cambridge Office of Communications on 01223 332300

tag: Future Phone, Nokia, Nokia Research, University of Cambridge, The Morph, MoMA, nanotechnology, Design and the Elastic Mind,