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Changing the Texture of Plastics On Demand

Posted by timothy on from the what-would-you-do-with-this? dept.

cylonlover writes "Imagine a pair of rubber gloves whose surface texture could be altered on demand to provide more grip for climbing. Or maybe gloves with "fingerprints" that can be changed in the blink of an eye. They are just a couple of the many potential applications envisioned by researchers at Duke University for a process they have developed that allows the texture of plastics to be changed at will. By applying specific voltages, the researchers have been able to dynamically switch polymer surfaces among various patterns ranging from dots, segments, lines to circles."

2 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Finally... by similar_name · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or a tablet/phone/touchscreen that changes the texture of its surface. You could add tactile feedback for alpha-numeric keys as well as software (e.g. game) feedback.

  2. Okay, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...no, absolutely not for climbing. If they can be made to provide more grip, they can fail and provide less grip at a critical moment.