iLand

Just as steam power was the technology behind the industrial revolution, information technology is the driving force behind today´s information society to operate in real-time on a global and local scale. Smart phones and applications increase our virtual mobility and enhance the geographic mobility in urban areas. As we constantly touch and hold these devices in our hands, we experience impressive smoothness. By scanning the surface of the touch screen in the scale of micrometer (µm) and nanometer (nm), the roughness of the surface becomes visible. In 3D-sofware the scale is increased and visualized as a surreal landscape. The question arises if we can produce touch screens that transform frictional heat into electricity. If we can recharge the device by rubbing the screen as we are constantly doing...

Location: iPhone Screen (canned surface: 10 x 10 µm, AFM force spectroscopy)
Resolution: 1024 x 1024 pixel
Year: 2012
Team: with the support of JPK Instruments, Berlin