Abstract: A composite film includes a substrate that is not responsive to relative humidity, and also one or more layers of hygromorphic material. The hygromorphic material expands in response to an increase in relative humidity and contracts in response to a decrease in relative humidity. In some cases, the composite film is bi-layer or tri-layer. The composite films are fabricated such that they undergo a desired bending pattern in response to changes in relative humidity. In some cases, these bending patterns are combinations of two bending primitives: a smooth curve and a sharply angled curve. These two primitives are combined to create a variety of shape transformations including 1D linear transformation, 2D surface expansion and contraction, 2.5D texture change and 3D folding. Any type of hygromorphic material may be employed, including living gram positive and gram negative bacterial cells, yeast cells, plant cells, mammalian cells, cell debris, or hydrogel.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a wearable device includes a body that includes a touch-sensitive display. The wearable device includes a band coupled to the body and an optical sensor placed on or in the band so that an image of an object displayed on the touch-sensitive display is viewable while the object is also viewable without the wearable device blocking a view of the object.

Abstract: In some implementations, bending or other shape changes of a device are actuated by inflating or deflating a bladder in the device. Then, once the desired new shape is achieved by this actuation, another bladder in the device is layer-jammed, to make the device rigid in the new shape. In some cases, sheets in the layer-jamming bladder are coated with abrasive particles. In some cases, layer jamming bladders are interwoven to form a woven device. The rigidity of the woven device can be anisotropically controlled. Layer jamming some, but not all, of the bladders in the woven device causes the woven device to have a rigidity that varies by direction. In some cases, a layer-jamming bladder includes a solid layer with a crease in it. As a result, the bladder can easily bend at the crease.

Abstract: In exemplary implementations of this invention, a shape controller controls the shape of a bladder as the bladder inflates. The shape controller includes a first set of regions and a second set of regions. The second set of regions is more flexible than the first set of regions. The shape controller is embedded within, or adjacent to, a wall of the bladder. When the bladder is inflated, the overall shape of the bladder bends in areas adjacent to the more flexible regions of the shape controller. For example, the shape controller may comprise paper and the more flexible regions may comprise creases in the paper. Or, for example, the more flexible regions may comprise notches or indentations. In some implementations of this invention, a multi-state shape display changes shape as it inflates, with additional bumps forming as pressure in the display increases.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors include instructions executable by the processors. When executing the instructions, the processors present on a display of the apparatus a first screen that corresponds to a first mode of the apparatus. The first screen is in a first level of a graphical user interface (GUI) hierarchy and occupies a substantial portion of the display when presented. In response to a transition event at the first screen, the processors present a second screen that corresponds to a second mode of the apparatus. The second screen is in the first level of the GUI hierarchy and occupies the substantial portion of the display when presented. In response to a selection event at the first screen, the processors present a third screen that corresponds to a first function of the first mode of the apparatus.

Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more processors and a memory coupled to the processors that includes instructions executable by the processors. When executing the instructions, the processors present on a display of the apparatus a first screen of a graphical user interface. The first screen includes one or more first elements. The processors receive user input indicating a transition in the graphical user interface and, in response to the user input, transition from the first screen to a second screen of the graphical user interface and apply one or more visual transition effects to the transition. The second screen includes one or more second elements.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a wearable apparatus includes a sensor, a processor coupled to the sensor, and a memory coupled to the processor that includes instructions executable by the processor. When executing the instructions, the processor detects by the sensor movement of at least a portion of an arm of a user; detects, based at least in part on the movement, a gesture made by the user; and processes the gesture as input to the wearable apparatus.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a wearable device includes a body that includes a touch-sensitive display. The wearable device includes a band coupled to the body and an optical sensor placed on or in the band so that an image of an object displayed on the touch-sensitive display is viewable while the object is also viewable without the wearable device blocking a view of the object.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a wearable computing device includes one or more sensors, one or more processors, and a memory coupled to the processors that includes instructions executable by the processors. When executing the instructions, the processors detect, by one or more of the sensors of the wearable computing device when worn on a limb of a user, a gesture-recognition-activation event associated with the wearable computing device; detect, by one or more sensors of the wearable computing device when worn on the limb of the user, a movement of the limb; determine a gesture made by the user based at least in part on the movement; and process the gesture as input to the computing wearable computing device.