“We’ve shown you computer screens made of water and even a touchscreen built out of ice. But now Yoichi Ochiai from the University of Tokyo and colleagues have created the world’s thinnest screen from a soap bubble that can display vivid images that are either flat, textured or 3D. Compared to conventional screens that are opaque, a soap film varies in transparency and reflectance. The team was able to control these properties by using ultrasonic sound waves emitted from speakers to alter the surface. By using a single projector, the texture of an image can then be changed on the fly, for example to make a ball look smooth or rough. Several screens can also be combined to create a 3D effect.” w/ video
