----- Original Message ----- From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 1:47 PM Subject: Talking paper made by scientists
> BBC News, Technology (UK) > Tuesday, June 05, 2007 > > Talking paper made by scientists > > Caption: Sound streams out from the billboard when it is touched > > Digital paper that can speak to you has been created by scientists. > > Researchers from Mid Sweden University have constructed an interactive > paper billboard that emits recorded sound in response to a user's touch. > > The prototype display uses conductive inks, which are sensitive to > pressure, and printed speakers. > > The team envisages that the technology could be used by advertisers, and > in the future, it might even be employed for product packaging. > > The researcher's display model shows its possible use for marketing > holiday destinations. > > Mikael Gulliksson, who led the research project, told the BBC News > website: "When you approach the billboard and put your hand on a postcard > that shows a picture of a beach, you can hear a very brief description of > that beach." > > Down-sizing > > The key to the billboard's capabilities is a layer of digital paper that > is embedded with electronics. > > This is printed with conductive inks, which, when applied with pressure, > relay information to a micro-computer that contains recorded audio files. > Sound then streams out from printed speakers, which are formed from more > layers of conductive inks that sit over an empty cavity to form a > diaphragm. > > This functional layer is sandwiched between a thick sheet of extra-strong > cardboard and another sheet of paper that is printed with the billboard's > design. > > The billboard contains a paper layer with embedded electronics > > "This pilot project could be used for stands in shops and in other > marketing displays," said Dr Gulliksson. > > At present, the displays are expensive to produce, but the researchers are > aiming to find ways of lowering the costs to make the boards easier to > change and replace. > > In the future, the team also plans to look at down-sizing the technology. > > "Our next idea is to look at how we could use this in product packaging," > Dr Gulliksson told the BBC. > > "One interesting idea would be to use it on cigarette packaging, so > instead of having a written message warning you of danger to your health, > you would have a spoken one." > > "There could be a whole range of applications," he added. > > RELATED INTERNET LINKS > Mid Sweden University > http://www.miun.se/default____22057.aspx > The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. > > (Test submitted by Mr Gilbert.) > > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6723475.stm > > -- > BlindNews mailing list > > To contact a list moderator about a problem or to make a request, send a > message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > The BlindNews list is archived at: http://GeoffAndWen.com/blind/ > > To address a message to all members of the list, send mail to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Access your subscription info at: > http://blindprogramming.com/mailman/listinfo/blindnews_blindprogramming.com > > To unsubscribe via e-mail: send a message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word unsubscribe in either > the subject or body of the message Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
