ReFlex a flexible smartphone developed by researchers from at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab in Canada, it is the world’s first flexible smartphone to use Bend Gestures and Haptic feedback to perform various functions. It interacts with apps through bend gestures allowing users to experience the physical tactile feedback, an example of the prospective uses are shown in the video below.
The users plays Angry Birds using the Bend gestures and also flips through an eBook using the bend gesture which is pretty impressive. The ReFlex sports LG’s flexible OLED touch screen and hardware of the device is mounted on the side of the display. The bend sensors are placed on the back of the display to get direct input from the display about the exact force and the amount of bending.
Commenting on the ReFlex, Roel Vertegaal (School of Computing), director of the Human Media Lab at Queen’s University, said, “This allows for the most accurate physical simulation of interacting with virtual data possible on a smartphone today. When a user plays the “Angry Birds” game with ReFlex, they bend the screen to stretch the sling shot. As the rubber band expands, users experience vibrations that simulate those of a real stretching rubber band. When released, the band snaps, sending a jolt through the phone and sending the bird flying across the screen”.
The ReFlex comes with a voice coil which allows the phone to stimulate forces and friction through highly detailed vibrations of the display. The ReFlex prototype will be unveiled at Tangible Embedded and Embodied Interaction conference in Netherlands on February 17th. It is being called ReFlex: A Flexible Smartphone with Active Haptic Feedback for Bend Input.
