Clingy film makes any surface a touchscreen

Multi-touch matrix make-over

Portuguese company Displax has developed a thin film capable of turning any non-conductive surface into a multi-touch screen.

The polymer film, which is thinner than paper, can be applied to any surface, flat or curved. A matrix of tiny wires embedded in the film can detect up to 16 finger presses on a 50-inch screen and will even detect when someone blows on it.

The technology was developed for commercial products like information kiosks, but it's easy to see how it could be used to retrofit standard LCD monitors with sticky-backed touch screens.

Scalable from seven inches up to a whopping three meters, the screen overlays detect the tiny electrical impulses generated by contact with the surface.

Kits will start shipping in July 2010 and prices are yet to be announced.