Life is Flexible

Hi-res images from the Plastic Logic and Central St Martins Future Mapping Project. Please choose from the links below:

• Life is Flexible Group Photo
• The Winner
• The Runners Up
• The Shortlisted Designs
• Photos from the event

 

Life is Flexible: prize winning Plastic Logic flexible displays by students at Central Saint Martins. First prize won by Turnover (centre). Other prize winners (clockwise from right) were Smartbook, Emulate, Snapmed, Flexinfo and Digital Music Score.

Turnover is an innovative e-reader that won first prize. It uses two traditional aspects of reading – turning the page and folding the corner – to exploit the physical capabilities of flexible displays, while humanizing the experience of reading an electronic book or newspaper. The screen that is rotated to the back refreshes the next page during the turning action, thereby stimulating a whole book or magazine with only two pages.

According to designer Timothy Yeoh, “Turnover is two pages with infinite possibilities – you can lose yourself in any number of worlds.” Touch the on button for a few seconds to bring up the book select menu and use the scroll wheel to select the book or quickly skip to the desired page. Touchscreen capability lets you bend the corner to toggle bookmarks on or off, with a bookmark symbol on the page for easy reference when scrolling through.

Snapmed is an updateable display and storage device for the next generation of medical patient tagging. It quickly and accurately displays key patient information and medication details. A sprung steel wrist band is the mechanism to make it snap onto the patient’s wrist quickly and securely. Designer – James King.

SmartBook is an easy-to-hold e-book with a touch sensitive quadrant scroll bar for one-handed navigation. Selecting the enlarge button, the scroll can be used to adjust the size of the font. With bistable display effects and robust, unbreakable backplanes, part of the display is always visible even when the device is shut so you can always see top level information. Designer – Coria Mok.

Digital Music Score (DMS) uses flexible display technology to make life easier for musicians, whether amateur or professional. Music scores are downloaded into the DMS and displayed on full sized pages, just like familiar printed music scores. Designed to fit onto conventional music stands, the musician isn’t distracted by having to turn from page to page by hand. They keep their hands on the instruments while playing, so they can concentrate on achieving peak performance. It can even be rolled up into a scroll for storage. The DMS also contains teaching and reference material to help players enhance their musical skills and knowledge. Designer – Akiko Iba.

Emulate is a leather-covered e-reader the size of a bill fold or wallet. Its slim ergonomic design fits easily into a pocket or handbag and is ideal for reading email. Flexible padded edges adapt to being in your pocket and – like other leather goods – it acquires a patina over time so users form an emotional attachment to the product. Designer – Ben Forman.

Flexinfo uses flexible display technology to provide up to date travel information on your season ticket where and when you need it. It shows the latest timetable with upcoming departure and arrival times, and also warns you about delays or cancellations. It updates everytime it is used and is a direct replacement for current season tickets. Its attractive display has the potential to be used for advertising and other offers. Designer – Edward Vince.

Boarding Pass uses the robustness of flexible displays to transform your air travel experience. As you move through the airport, the display is updated using the smartcard IC with first your boarding pass at check-in, then your baggage tag and finally Air Miles Account information. It is also a convenient passport holder. Designer - Chia Yu Hsu

Display Belt is a fashion accessory for those who want to change their accessories to suit their outfits. With driver electronics integrated into the buckle of the belt, it is practical, lightweight and attractive. Designer - Bjoern Nielsen

FlashCards is an updateable electronic card for use at sports games. The display on the front is used to show information about the players and game up-to-date facts and figures. The other side is used for fun, such as a "GOAL" when a point is scored, and advertisements by sponsors of the event. Designer - Jonathan Krawczuk

YourMenu an alternative solution for restaurants ideal for large groups. YourMenu provides a personal menu for each customer which keeps a summary of the order so that individuals can pay separately for their own meal more easily. It also offers additional information such as allergy advice in the ingredients section. The YourMenu data can be linked to a central server in order to update prices and availability of meals in real time. It can also be used to track the desirability of foods and provide market intelligence to the owner. Designer - Claudia Sanchiz Garin

The photos below were taken at the event as the students gave their presentations and as the winners were announced at the end of the day.