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Touch Sensitive Paper With Built-In Speakers

Posted by Zonk on from the menu-won't-stop-singing-please-take-it-away dept.

The Bongo King writes "There have been several stories about digital paper discussed here on the site recently, but an offering from Swedish research scientists has a new twist. They have made a prototype billboard of interactive paper with built-in flat loudspeakers apparently also made of paper. 'Touch sensors are made using a fine pattern of conductive lines in which the current flow is altered when a hand touches it. Laptop computer touchpads use the same principle. Speakers are made by printing electromagnets out of conductive ink and stretching the paper over a cavity like a speaker cone behind the billboard. The electromagnets vibrate in response to a current, creating a sound.'"

23 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. With speakers... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Can't wait for the day when I can write "/." and the paper screams, "Hey, dork, you spelled 'Slashdot' wrong."

    1. Re:With speakers... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2, Funny

      I don't think I want to go to a coffee house where an artist is having an argument with his paper over a drawing of the hot Goth chick serving coffee. Although it might interesting if the hot Goth chick's boyfriend shows up, and the paper tells him how ugly his girlfriend looks. I'm sure the artist would be changing papers in a hurry. :P

    2. Re:With speakers... by snickkers · · Score: 3, Funny

      It looks like you're attempting to write a letter. Would you like to....

      --
      GLORX 3:16
  2. Oh god no by cbuskirk · · Score: 5, Insightful

    5 years from now you will walk down the isle in a grocery store and every box will be animating and screaming buy me like the cereal box in Minority Report.

    1. Re:Oh god no by 7Prime · · Score: 5, Funny

      Actually, that's a really good idea. Never saw Minority Report. What could be better than video advertsing ON THE PACKAGING!

      I work in advertising, I'll have to have a talk with my boss about this.

      --
      Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
    2. Re:Oh god no by clarkkent09 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Ever walked down the toy section at wallmart (or was it toys'r'us, can't remember). There are toys in packaging with sensors that detect people walking by and set off the sales pitch when you get close enough. Its quite startling, not to mention annoying.

      --
      Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
  3. Today by i_liek_turtles · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Paper is now banned in schools, as the repeat playing of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" caused much ruckus.

  4. Origami by Tribbin · · Score: 2, Funny

    Making a tweeting bird that moves it's eyes and responds to you touching it and all from a single digital paper.

    --
    If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
  5. Noise pollution? by Zironic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think we probably need new laws against noise pollution fast. I really don't look forward to billboards speaking to me.

    1. Re:Noise pollution? by Meski · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Argh. Sorry, but the answer to things you don't like is not more micromanagement laws.

  6. oh god...the ads...the ADS!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    once advertisers get a hold of this material, and they start showing up all over the place with irritating ads that scream at you, will either be the day I commence a campaign of BRUTAL city-wide vandalism, or I give up and move into the woods.

  7. The next step by Bimkins · · Score: 3, Funny

    How do we make this work with porn magazines?

    You know it's gonna happen...

    --



    If you smoke after sex, you're doing it too fast.
  8. The Return of the Scroll by StCredZero · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If you have to have a battery attached to the paper, you might as well make it cylindrical, so you can roll the e-paper up. (Folding will probably not be so friendly to it.)

    The return of the scroll!

  9. Enviromental by king-manic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you thought over packaging was bad now. Imagine a cereal box with 1/4 of it reserve for the battery that powers the digital paper display and 1/4 reserved for the speaker. The remaining 1/2 will be food facimille made of phosoric acid, aspertame, Hydrogenated vegetable oil, and recycled newspaper print.

    --
    "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
    1. Re:Enviromental by timeOday · · Score: 3, Informative

      Time Magazine just ran this interesting photo essay called "what people eat." One of the interesting things to notice is how much wasteful packaging we use compared to those who still eat mainly for nutrition. Which is not to say I'd like to live like a refugee, only that it's a shame quality food can't be packaged without all that expense and waste: "Only about 9 percent of the cost of a box of cereal is for the cereal -- the other 91 percent of the cost is for the package and advertising." Unfortunately we humans are suckers for outwards appearance.

    2. Re:Enviromental by rowlingj · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No, Birds. Think of the birds! Birds sit on signs, crap on signs, nest on signs. Not any longer: Bird lands on sign. Sign detects small conductivity along top edge and blurts out annoying local species alarm call.
      But why stop at birds? everywhere you put the sign in train stations, the rear / underside could be sensitive to (say) rats and might squark some ultrasonic move-along signal.

    3. Re:Enviromental by lessthan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Sorry, this is totally OT, but your sig drives me crazy. Morons have to die sometime, but a stupid idea can last forever.

      --
      Space Shuttle was a program that strapped humans to an explosion and tried to stab through the sky with fire and math
  10. The next step . . . by cashman73 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The RIAA is already planning their next major lawsuit against the paper industry,...

  11. New meaning for vanity toilet paper by whallify · · Score: 2, Funny

    So a good novelty item might be disposable electronic talking paper. Maybe it can give feedback as it's being, um, used. "no, you missed a spot."

  12. And classified documents... by Roadkills-R-Us · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...will scan your fingerprints, and if you aren't cleared for the document, the paper can start singing "you can't touch this!"

  13. Electromagnetism? Why not piezos? by Ungrounded+Lightning · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Speakers are made by printing electromagnets out of conductive ink and stretching the paper over a cavity like a speaker cone behind the billboard. The electromagnets vibrate in response to a current, creating a sound.'"

    Sounds like a lot of current and associated structure to get this to work.

    Why not just use plastic piezoelectric benders? Then the paper will talk even when being held in free air.

    (Or hasn't the patent on that expired yet?)

    --
    Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
  14. the downside by rubycodez · · Score: 2, Funny

    Those attending the demonstration of sound-making-paper technology reported 1. it indeed worked. 2. it sounded like rustling paper.

  15. Time to start building portable EMP generators by hcdejong · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...to silence all the animated, noisy ads this invention will inevitably lead to.