Project Papyrus

Could we make a writable display that feels like paper?

People who write or draw a lot like the feel of paper, rather than glass.  The lack of friction on the glass surfaces of displays reduces the realism of the physical interaction with digital surfaces.

The traditional way of adding paper-like feel to a display is to add a texture to the glass surface.  Unfortunately, surface textures compromise the resolution and contrast of high resolution displays.

Analysis of the behavior of pens as they are pulled across paper reveals sideways friction forces caused by interaction with the surface structure.

In Project Papyrus we successfully reproduced those friction forces by chemically patterning the surface, resulting in a surface that is totally transparent and smooth down to the molecular level, yet still has the friction associated with paper.