Motorola is thinking about a day where phones can heal their own cracks. A patent published today explains how a phone could identify cracks on its touchscreen and then apply heat to the area in an effort to slightly repair the damage. The process relies on something called "shape memory polymer," a material that can apparently become deformed and then recovered through thermal cycling. Thermal cycling involves changing the temperature of the material rapidly.
This material could be used over an LCD or LED display with a capacitive touch sensor layered in, as well. Although the phone could heat the polymer in order to restore it, a user's body heat can be used, too.
Image: Motorola
Image: Motorola
While this sounds like the holy grail of phone displays, something tells me we won't be seeing it in real phones anytime soon. The polymer looks like it could feel cheap, unlike glass displays, although maybe rugged devices or gadgets for kids would benefit from this healing idea.