Sticky notes are so useful that the little anachronistic squares of paper are likely plastered all around your retina-display laptop right now, or maybe even against that mirror in your house that can tell you how sexy you look. But even the almighty sticky note must eventually succumb to the tsunami of technological innovation known as “the internet of things.” Subject A: the “energy-harvesting situated displays” shown in the above video, which are solar-powered, compatible with augmented reality technology, and of course, stickable.
The video of the electronic sticky notes, which was posted by researcher Tobias Große-Puppendahl and comes via Gizmodo, demonstrates a type of electronic display that is “thin, light weight, robust, and wireless.” And while the resolution leaves something to be desired—a lot to be desired—the electronic sticky notes are AR-ready. This feature is shown off in the video around 1:26, and one can easily imagine cruising around the home or office with Microsoft’s Hololens or Magic Leap’s “mixed reality” gear, while utilizing the notes for reminders regarding upcoming meetings or which robot needs a waxing (probably Bender, ’cause he loves to keep it shiny).
Aside from the AR aspect of the electro-notes, another cool feature is the fact that they can be powered by ambient indoor light. This means that you don’t necessarily have to stick them up against a window or anything; they’ll just feed off of lamp light inside of the room where they’re posted. So if walking around with AR glasses while checking out sticky notes that have been updated wirelessly via smartphones and tablets doesn’t sound like the future to you, maybe the idea of having an ecosystem of office supplies feeding off your lighting fixtures does.
What do you think about these solar-powered AR sticky notes? Are you ready for the IoT to take over those lovely little squares of sticky paper all around your desk or is it OG Post-It notes or bust for you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Images: Tobias Große-Puppendahl
