Automaker Nissan has applied its self-healing paint technology to an iPhone case. The first-of-its-kind case is a tribute to the Juke crossover and was created with the help of the University of Tokyo and Advanced Softmaterials. As on Nissan’s cars, any small scratches or scrapes can fix themselves over time.
The polyrotaxane-based paint, dubbed Scratch Shield by the automaker, will fill in a minor scratch in about an hour, with larger nicks taking as much as one week to repair themselves. The trick is that the paint never truly dries, but doesn’t feel wet to the touch or mark anything it touches. The case should also be harder to scratch in the first place, Nissan said, at least compared to paint from other automakers.
The automaker may sell the case later this year, and has reportedly licensed it to Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo. It will also give out about 100 of the cases at an event in Dubai.
