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Flex Tech

Opportunities to use new flexible materials are generating big viral appeal

Implications - In our 2008 report we mentioned the emergence of flexible technologies such as ePaper, color OLED and paper-thin flexible batteries, but we also noted that many were not in use yet. As predicted, the first companies to incorporate flexible concepts benefited immensely from viral attention.
Trend Themes
1. Flexible Electronics - The emergence of flexible technologies such as ePaper, color OLED and paper-thin flexible batteries has created a demand for flexible and bendable electronic devices.
2. Smart Surfaces - The ability to apply OLEDs to flat surfaces like walls, furniture, and floors has opened up a whole new world of design for creating interactive and smart environments.
3. Eco-friendly Design - The use of environmentally friendly components and materials like non-toxic chromium and polyurethane promotes sustainable design and greener manufacturing processes.
Industry Implications
1. Consumer Electronics - Incorporating flexible and smart surfaces into electronic devices will create a whole new market for innovative and interactive devices.
2. Interior Design - The use of smart surfaces and OLEDs for decorating walls, floors, and furniture creates a new industry around creating immersive and interactive environments.
3. Sustainable Manufacturing - The use of environmentally friendly components and materials for manufacturing products promotes greener manufacturing processes and a more sustainable future for our planet.
3.2
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
Patterns
Megatrends
12 Featured, 12 Examples:
275,507 Total Clicks
Date Range:
Oct 07 — Oct 08
Trending:
Warm
Consumer Insight Topics:

Featured Examples

Glowing Walls 2
Glowing Walls 2
OLED Wallpaper from GE
We've seen wallpaper that emits lights before, but it wasn't as captivating as the OLED wallpaper by General Electric! This opens up a whole new level of modern design, and by the looks of it, these stick… MORE
Flexible LCD Cutting Boards
Flexible LCD Cutting Boards
Digital Cutting Board is Eco-Friendly
Kitchen cutting boards have been receiving some design attention, but I did not expect such a high-tech makeover as Nardo Design’s new high-tech Digital Cutting Board with its built-in flexible LCD display… MORE
Touch Screen Phones Inpired by Ancient Scripts
Touch Screen Phones Inpired by Ancient Scripts
The Scroll
If you're gonna dream, dream big! That seems to be the motto behind The Scroll mobile computing device by 13 Tech Design. Inspired by the ancient Egyptian and Greek scrolls, the Scroll packs some powerful… MORE
Keyboard For The Kluts
Keyboard For The Kluts
Spill Proof, Glows, Flexible
If you like to surf the web in the dark and aren't a good typist, here's a keyboard for you. If you like to drink while surfing, and have a tendency to spill, this keyboard is also for you. If you just… MORE
Stretchy Electronics
Stretchy Electronics
Bendable Circuits
Opening the door for a generation of flexible electronic devices, the world's first "completely integrated, extremely bendable circuits" were developed and demonstrated by a research team led by John Rogers… MORE
ePaper Magazine Covers
ePaper Magazine Covers
Esquire 75th Anniversary Issue
Esquire magazine will use honest-to-goodness ePaper to commemorate their 75th year. The high tech cover will flash "the 21st Century Begins Now" when it's on the newsstands. Esquire hopes it will make… MORE
Bendy Wash Basins
Bendy Wash Basins
The Squidgy Sink
These soft washbowls designed by Helena Jongerius are a great idea. The Squidgy Sink means no more chipped porcelain sinks and it’s a brilliant idea for those small, cramped bathrooms where you have to… MORE
Flexible Floor Lamps
Flexible Floor Lamps
Fragile by Ira Rozhavsky
"Fragile" is a floor lamp designed by the Israeli designer Ira Rozhavsky. The lamp is made of crushed glass and is coated with silicon. The lamp is decorated with LED light that goes all around the edges.… MORE
Papyrus Ski Maps
Papyrus Ski Maps
The MYWAY Scroll
The MYWAY 2 Map House ski resort map was designed by MÃ¥ns von Rohr and Catharina Wikström. The tear-resistant scroll map is really convenient and would come in handy for those who go mountain-skiing… MORE
OLEDs Printed Like Newspaper
OLEDs Printed Like Newspaper
GE Roll-to-Roll OLED
Things are about to get a whole lot more interesting in interior design. We have already seen the invasion of LED lights into designs and products everywhere. Now we have the world's first demonstration… MORE
Ultra Thin Flexible Scale
Ultra Thin Flexible Scale
Paper Scale
Duck Image Studio has created an ultra thin flexible scale which features a pressure sensing sheet that relays information to an e-paper display. It is waterproof, easy to clean, and can be rolled up for… MORE
Sprout Inspired Lighting
Sprout Inspired Lighting
'Bud Table Light'
The ‘Bud Table Light’ by Pouyan Mokhtarani was inspired by the form of an emerging plant sprouts. The portable ‘Bud Table Light’ is wireless ready, so it can be taken wherever a little extra light is required.… MORE