Nissan’s paint technology will soon be applied to mobile phones, of all things. Used on cars such as the Nissan 370Z the ‘Scratch Shield’ paint is, as its name suggests, less prone to surface scratching.
Even better than that, though, is the paint is said to have self-healing properties. It’s as if a bunch of paint tins were sent to Byron Bay for a holiday where they smoked a bit of pot and came back with a few tatts and all hippie like at peace with themselves.
The healing process can take place in around 24 hours for less severe cases, with deeper scratching taking up to a week to buff itself right out. Pretty amazing stuff, it has to be said.
So, while you might need to be Einstein to develop the technology inside this magic paint, you certainly don’t need to be too clever to work out that the product is perfectly suited to mobile phones.
Apparently this magic paint has been around for four years or so now. Where have I been? Why haven’t I heard of this before? And why aren’t more manufacturers copying this technology?
NISSAN’S AMAZING “SCRATCH SHIELD†PAINT TO BE APPLIED TO MOBILE PHONES
- NTT DoCoMo to license “Scratch Shield†paint technology in Japan
YOKOHAMA (November 10, 2009) — Nissan Motor Co., Ltd, today announced it will license its breakthrough “Scratch Shield†paint to NTT DoCoMo, Inc. for mobile phone application in Japan. The self-healing paint, currently applied to certain Nissan and Infiniti vehicles worldwide, was developed in collaboration with University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials Inc.
The Scratch Shield, a world first in paint technology, was commercially introduced in December, 2005. The Scratch Shield paint self-heals fine scratches and is capable of restoring the vehicle’s paint surfaces overnight or up to a week’s time in more severe cases. The Scratch Shield paint is also more scratch-resistant than conventional paint, therefore, contributing to a more durable and long-lasting paint coat.
This unique self-heal quality of the paint is ideal for mobile phone application, which is susceptible to scratches over daily use. NTT DoCoMo, Inc. will license the Scratch Shield for its mobile phones to be introduced in Japan, which will be a value-add feature for customers.
Nissan has been licensing its unique technologies for various non-automotive applications since 2004. Other technologies that have been licensed include the around-view monitor and far infrared image sensor. Nissan will continue to research and develop breakthrough technologies that can benefit other industries, and promote these non-automotive applications globally.