Impress - Flexible Display

by Stu, February.25.2009

This video of Silke Hilsing's new squishy touch interface has been making it's way around the internet the last few days, ad frankly the first time I checked it out I really didn't know what to make of it. I've never really wished my computer was softer, but I guess I never thought about it. Naturally I checked out the project page for a little enlightenment:

"Impress is the deliverance of the touch screen from its technical stiffness, coldness and rigidity. It breaks the distance in the relationship of human and technology, because it is not any longer the user which is subjected to technology, but in this case the display itself has to cave in to the human. Impress is a chance of approach of user and technology, above all, from technology.

It is a matter of a flexible display consisting of foam and force sensors which is deformable and feels pleasantly soft. Impress works with the parameters position and time like other touch screens as well, but in addition to that, it reacts, above all, on the intensity of pressure."

And that's when it hit me, this new technology has the potential to turn my bed into a computer! naturally I'm trying to get in touch with the company in order to volunteer for any possible beta testing re: possible pillow-top supercomputers.