A Queen’s University research team has taken a page from history, rolled it up and created a rollable touch-screen tablet — the MagicScroll. Called the ‘world’s first rollable touchscreen tablet’, it is designed to capture the flexible screen real estate of ancient scrolls in a modern-day device.
The device comprises a high-resolution 7.5-inch 2K resolution flexible display that can be rolled or unrolled around a central, 3D-printed cylindrical body containing the device’s computerised inner-workings. Two rotary wheels at either end of the cylinder allow the user to scroll through information on the touch screen.
When a user narrows in on an interesting piece of content that they would like to examine more deeply, the display can be unrolled and function as a tablet display. Its lightweight and cylindrical body make it easier to hold with one hand than an iPad. When rolled up, it fits into your pocket and can be used as a phone, dictation device or pointing device.
“We were inspired by the design of ancient scrolls because their form allows for a more natural, uninterrupted experience of long visual timelines,” says Roel Vertegaal, professor of human-computer interaction at Queen’s University Human Media Lab.
Beyond the innovative flexible display, the prototype also features a camera that allows users to employ the rolled-up MagicScroll as a gesture-based control device – similar to that of Nintendo’s ‘Wiimote’. And the device’s rotary wheels contain robotic actuators that allow the device to physically move or spin in place to various scenarios, like when it receives a notification for instance.
