Designers Zhongren Zhang, a second-year graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Chun Yang, a graduate student at China's Nanjing University of Science and Technology have come up with a Backpacker's Diary PC design which was inspired during a backpacking expedition the two made to Germany last year.
The burden of the laptop and sheath of paper maps that Zhang was carrying around with him in his backpack prompted him to pose the question, "how can the advantage of traditional paper maps and books be integrated into a PC to make it easier to travel?"
But in seeking to combine such functionality into a portable, convenient form factor for travelers, Zhang knew an "all-in-one box with merely a nice shape" wouldn't cut it.
Instead they tried to find inspiration from some traditional sources, so the device would be intuitive to use for backpackers. They did some research on the technology of flexible materials and developed the concept aimed at the keen traveler.
The Backpacker's diary is a PC concept that integrates with the form of a traditional book. Different pages have different functions, like media recording, solar recharging and EL illumination. The reading book approach of the PC encourages the backpacker to experience and share more about their trips.
It comes with a bookmark which has a camera, microphone and small LCD screen that displays the time, weather and destination. Just pop it into your top pocket and you have everything you require to record your travel experiences which are transferred to the diary via a signal using Bluetooth technology.
The diary has a silicon rubber flexible keyboard, flexible LCD screen and solar panels for recharging whilst walking. In addition it has GPS navigation and provides an EL light source.
Whilst walking, the diary can be charged by putting the unfolded solar panels on your back .
At night the book with its EL illuminant panel can be rolled into a lamp.
For more on flexible displays Printed Electronics Asia 2008 or Printed Electronics USA 2008.
