Nissan Says New iPhone Case Heals Itself

By Yoree Koh

With every burnished brand from Louis Vuitton to Gucci having tried its hand at designing a case for Apple Inc.?s all-conquering iPhone, the deluged market scarcely needs another.

But there are two unusual reasons why a prototype unveiled this week is worth noting: It has healing powers, and it?s made by Nissan Motor Co.

The Japanese auto maker said this week that it has developed what it calls the world?s first ?self-healing? iPhone case. Whatever your current case, when it gets scratched in most instances the choices are to either get a new one (preferably made of rubber) or deal with it. But with Nissan?s case, there?s another option. Wait ? and the problem will go away, according to the theory.

Nissan used the same self-healing paint that covers some of its cars to coat its ?Nissan Scratch Shield? iPhone case. It can mend small scratches in under an hour, while deeper cuts may take as long as a week to heal, according to Nissan.

The trick is in the paint?s outer layer, which is made from a material called polyrotaxane. When bruised, the flexible chemical structure reacts by reverting back to its original shape. What the consumer would see is the case healing itself, according to Nissan. Also, made of a plastic variety also used in cars, the auto maker says the case material is stronger than others.

Nissan developed the technology in collaboration with the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc. in 2005. The paint is used on select vehicles like the Nissan Murano 370Z and X-Trail, as well as Infiniti models. But the auto maker said this is the first time it is being applied for products other than cars.

Currently on trial in Europe, it may go on sale later this year if there is strong demand. In the meantime, Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has started using the technology on some of its phones ? the Style Series N-03B line.

?We like to think laterally by taking the great innovations we?ve got from an automotive point of view, and looking at how they could be applied to improve everyday issues,? said Bob Laishley, a Nissan business development executive in Europe, in a released statement.

Source: http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/01/18/nissan-says-new-iphone-case-heals-itself/?mod=WSJBlog

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