Inspired by ancient scrolls, first ever rollable touchscreen tablet created

In a first, scientists have created a new rollable multi-touchscreen tablet PC, inspired from the ancient paper scrolls originated in ancient Egypt.

Scientists from Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab have developed ‘MagicScroll’, a device they call as the ‘world’s first rollable tablet PC’ that rotates around 3D-printed cylindrical body and pops out to become a flat display.

MagicScroll was inspired from ancient scrolls, and also the old-fashioned rolodex, as the device is fitted with two rotary wheels allowing users to scroll through contacts on a digital display with a turn of the wheel. If users want to make a call, they simply roll the screen back to its original form.

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“We were inspired by the design of ancient scrolls because their form allows for a more natural, uninterrupted experience of long visual timelines,” said Roel Vertegaal, director of the Human Media Lab.

Video Courtesy: Human Media Lab

As per Daily Mail, MagicScroll wraps around a cylinder and rolls out to transform into a full-fledged tablet PC, measuring 7.5-inches, having OLED display, and 2K resolution for crisp pictures and videos. If the user wishes to see something up close, like Google Street View, the screen can easily be popped out of the casing to view sites, giving a feel of a true webpage.

The scientists claim that the device is a prototype and as compared to normal tablets, it is small enough to fit in a pocket and can be easily held with one hand. Apart from surfing social media and making calls, it can also be used as a dictation gear or pointing device. Also, the wheels have robotic actuators that allows the device to move or spin in place when it receives a notification. It also features a camera that is controlled via gestures, wrote Tech Times.

For future, the scientists hope to create a version of the device that is as small as a pen and can be carried around in a shirt pocket. “More broadly, the MagicScroll project is also allowing us to further examine notions that ‘screens don’t have to be flat’ and ‘anything can become a screen’,” Vertegaal said.

“Whether it’s a reusable cup made of an interactive screen on which you can select your order before arriving at a coffee-filling kiosk, or a display on your clothes, we’re exploring how objects can become the apps,” he added.