Photos: Roll up this laptop

A team of engineers at the U.K.’s University of Cambridge have developed “morphing materials” that have the ability to retain up to three structures–meaning that within five years it could be possible to roll up your laptop screen as easily as a newspaper.\r\n\r\n

This prototype, made by Keith Seffen, a lecturer in structural engineering at the University of Cambridge, holds the main electronic components by wooden strips on the vertical sides of the screen.

The metal itself is less than a millimeter thick.\r\n

\r\nThe Cambridge team is currently developing mathematical models to predict how reliably the material will keep its shape and discover more about the material’s limitations.

This end view shows the thinness and compactness of the roll-up laptop.

Seffen demonstrates the roll-up screen. “It will complement the arrival of flexible displays in the future,” he said.