The new technology, dubbed 'PocketView', can function as a standalone piece of tech or could be incorporated into existing or next-generation smart devices.
Researchers created prototypes that mimic smartphones, pens, key fobs and other shapes and sizes. The display shines through fabrics to show notifications for email or messages, time, weather or other forms of basic information.
“The idea is not to show all the information that you would normally see on your smartphone display,” said researcher Antony Albert Raj Irudayaraj. “These are displays that show minimal information. That’s good enough if you’re walking or biking, for example, to show basic navigation instructions. Or let’s say you received a message and don’t want to divert attention from what you’re doing. You can peek at the display and see the notification.”
After conducting a public survey, the researchers realised they needed to create their displays in various form factors in...