At last: a self-healing cellphone
2012-01-17 07:58
MAKING ITS MARK: Nissan has applied its auto talents to scratch-proofing iPhones.
Nissan has taken its "self-healing" vehicle paint and applied it to a product far more valuable, gram for gram, than a car.
It's a clever marketing ploy by the Japanese automaker - the world's first self-healing cellphone case, in this case for Apple's iPhone.
Nissan says its Scratch Shield paint is a world first in paint technology that allows fine scratches to repair themselves quickly and there are few things more unattractive than an expensive, but scratched, cellphone. Put the two together and you get the Nissan Scratch Shield iPhone case.
RIGID AND TIGHT
But wait, there's more... Nissan says the special paint is also easier to grip than normal, glossy cellphone surfaces so you're less likely to drop your iPhone in the first place. But if you do the case, Nissan says, is made of of ABS plastic - "a high
grade substance widely used in the automotive industry" to create a more
rigid, robust and tighter-fitting case.
The outer "paint" is made from polyrotaxane whose chemical formulation allows a fine scratch to change back to its original shape and fill the gap, effectively "healing" the blemish.
An initial batch of
prototypes of the innovative Scratch Shield iPhone cases has been
produced by Nissan for beta testing by journalists and
customers and, if demand proves strong, it could be released for general sale.
With a large Nissan badge.
