<p>Scientists claim to have developed the world's first wireless flexible smartphone that allows users to feel the buzz by bending their apps.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The full-colour, high-resolution smartphone, named ReFlex, combines multitouch with bend input and allows users to experience physical tactile feedback when interacting with their apps through bend gestures.<br /><br />"This represents a completely new way of physical interaction with flexible smartphones," said Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab at Queen's University in Canada.<br /><br />"When this smartphone is bent down on the right, pages flip through the fingers from right to left, just like they would in a book. More extreme bends speed up the page flips," said Vertegaal.<br /><br />"Users can feel the sensation of the page moving through their fingertips via a detailed vibration of the phone. This allows eyes-free navigation, making it easier for users to keep track of where they are in a document," he said.<br /><br />"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," Vertegaal said.<br /><br />"When released, the band snaps, sending a jolt through the phone and sending the bird flying across the screen," he said.<br /><br />"ReFlex is based on a high definition 720p LG Display Flexible OLED touch screen powered by an Android 4.4 "KitKat" board mounted to the side of the display," researchers said.<br /><br />Bend sensors behind the display sense the force with which a user bends the screen, which is made available to apps for use as input. ReFlex also features a voice coil that allows the phone to simulate forces and friction through highly detailed vibrations of the display.<br /><br />Combined with the passive force feedback felt when bending the display, this allows for a highly realistic simulation of physical forces when interacting with virtual objects. "This allows for the most accurate physical simulation of interacting with virtual data possible on a smartphone today," said Vertegaal. <br /></p>
<p>Scientists claim to have developed the world's first wireless flexible smartphone that allows users to feel the buzz by bending their apps.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The full-colour, high-resolution smartphone, named ReFlex, combines multitouch with bend input and allows users to experience physical tactile feedback when interacting with their apps through bend gestures.<br /><br />"This represents a completely new way of physical interaction with flexible smartphones," said Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab at Queen's University in Canada.<br /><br />"When this smartphone is bent down on the right, pages flip through the fingers from right to left, just like they would in a book. More extreme bends speed up the page flips," said Vertegaal.<br /><br />"Users can feel the sensation of the page moving through their fingertips via a detailed vibration of the phone. This allows eyes-free navigation, making it easier for users to keep track of where they are in a document," he said.<br /><br />"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," Vertegaal said.<br /><br />"When released, the band snaps, sending a jolt through the phone and sending the bird flying across the screen," he said.<br /><br />"ReFlex is based on a high definition 720p LG Display Flexible OLED touch screen powered by an Android 4.4 "KitKat" board mounted to the side of the display," researchers said.<br /><br />Bend sensors behind the display sense the force with which a user bends the screen, which is made available to apps for use as input. ReFlex also features a voice coil that allows the phone to simulate forces and friction through highly detailed vibrations of the display.<br /><br />Combined with the passive force feedback felt when bending the display, this allows for a highly realistic simulation of physical forces when interacting with virtual objects. "This allows for the most accurate physical simulation of interacting with virtual data possible on a smartphone today," said Vertegaal. <br /></p>