Mobile Technology

Rhino Shield could save your Gorilla's glass

Rhino Shield could save your Gorilla's glass
Rhino Shield adds a layer (several layers, actually) of protection to mobile device screens
Rhino Shield adds a layer (several layers, actually) of protection to mobile device screens
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Rhino Shield is highly transparent, with a transmission rate of over 95 percent
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Rhino Shield is highly transparent, with a transmission rate of over 95 percent
Rhino Shield is said to be five times more impact-resistant than Gorilla Glass 2
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Rhino Shield is said to be five times more impact-resistant than Gorilla Glass 2
Rhino Shield is scratch-resistant
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Rhino Shield is scratch-resistant
Rhino Shield features an oleophobic coating – that means it repels fingerprints and other oils
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Rhino Shield features an oleophobic coating – that means it repels fingerprints and other oils
Rhino Shield adds a layer (several layers, actually) of protection to mobile device screens
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Rhino Shield adds a layer (several layers, actually) of protection to mobile device screens
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Gorilla Glass, which is used in the displays of mobile devices such as the iPhone, is pretty tough stuff. That said, it still isn't that uncommon to see iPhones with cracked screens. Such carnage may become a less common sight, however, if Rhino Shield takes off. The clear coating, which is designed to applied over top of a device's existing screen, is said to be five times more impact-resistant than Gorilla Glass 2.

The result of a successful Kickstarter campaign, Rhino Shield is the product of Cambridge University spin-off company Evolutive Labs. It's made from an impact-dispersing "custom-formulated polymer" that is also highly transparent (it has a transmission rate of over 95 percent), scratch-resistant, and that features an oleophobic coating – that means it repels fingerprints and other oils.

One multi-layer sheet is 0.29 mm thick, and can reportedly be applied to a phone's screen without creating air bubbles or leaving sticky residue. The screen's touchscreen functionality remains intact.

Rhino Shield prices range from £17.99 (US$29) for a smartphone-sized sheet (users can select the proper make/model when ordering) to £25.00 ($40) for a sheet that fits a tablet.

The material can be seen getting subjected to an impact test in the video below.

Source: Evolutive Labs via Daily Mail

Drop Test

View gallery - 5 images
3 comments
3 comments
Nairda
Grinding teeth that none of the tech applied to smartphones is being applied to sunglasses and prescription spectacles.
Sun Kim
Makes me wonder if fighters could apply this to their skin to distribute damage from punches and kicks. Or if swat could put it on their face as an additional shield. Not saying it will stop bullet impact, but you get the idea...
asdf
So it doesn't shatter. But does it flex? Its 3 times thicker than a sheet of paper, not very thick. What if the test in the video is repeated, but this time with a lcd screen underneath. if the rhino shield flexes at all you're going to have a bit of dented screen (ruined).
Sure rhino glass is stronger, but what we need is a real life test, with the rhino glass on an iphone, to see if it really makes a difference.