Motorola looking to create a smartphone screen that heals itself

Screen will heal itself when you apply heat to it

Let’s face it; one thing that we all hate about smartphones is their fragility. Drop it once and you’ll be left with crocked screen. While some smartphone manufacturers are trying to address this problem by making the screens of their devices sturdier and stronger, Motorola is taking a whole new approach.



Motorola recently filed for a mobile phone screen patent that can heal itself when you apply heat to it. According to the patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the screen will be made of shape memory polymer that heals damage when you subject it to rapid changes in heat, which could even be produce by the phone itself.



The company even envisions an app that tells the phone where to start repairs. But your body heat, a dock or a plug-in panel might also work.



However, don't get too excited about it. Firstly, it’s just a patent application so there’s no guarantee that Motorola is really going to build it. Secondly, the fact that a polymer screen might not feel as nice to the touch as glass could be a good enough reason for the company to not pursue it.



Further, Motorola itself said the self-healing technology is not 100 per cent sufficient. So, if you break your shape memory polymer screen, it might not restore it completely.