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From: stuart@rennet.cs.wisc.edu (Stuart Friedberg)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs,comp.terminals,sci.electronics
Subject: Membrane keyboard and display
Message-ID: <1991Apr24.011712.20352@spool.cs.wisc.edu>
Date: 24 Apr 91 01:17:12 GMT
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Clearly we have the technology to put a PC-class machine in a
wristwatch, but we don't have any way to type at it or see what it
says.  HP's recent pocket-sized computer (with teensy keys and display)
brought to mind the following question:

Do the membrane and LCD technologies allow the creation of a keyboard
and display that can be rolled up?

Specifically, could we build a full size keyboard not more than 1/32"
thick, with a radius of curvature not more than 1/4", to tolerate
100,000 cycles of rolling and unrolling?  And could we build a 25x80
character (60x80 would be nicer) display with similar physical
characteristics?  If so, full-size devices could be stored in
a cylinder about 5" long and 2.5" - 3" in diameter.

The obvious application is for a REALLY small computer, where you
unroll the peripherals, slap them on the most convenient hard surface
(a transmission-type display simply could be hung from the back of a
chair, or something), plug them in and work.  I realize that the
appearance and ergonomics of a roll-up keyboard and display would be
poor, but today's alternatives (teensy chicklet keys less than a finger
width apart and a tiny 14x40 character display) are pretty bad
themselves.  An alternative keyboard and display for travel (I'm not
thinking about permanent installations here) would be welcome.

Stu Friedberg (stuart@cs.wisc.edu)