2011년 5월15일 한국전자통신연구원 책임연구원/공학박사 조영조
종이컵 두 개에 실을 매어 한쪽 컵에 입을 대고 말하면 멀리 떨어져 있는 컵에서도 소리가 잘 들렸던 종이컵 전화기의 어릴 적 추억을 누구나 한번쯤은 갖고 있을 것이다. 이 종이컵 전화기는 변신에 변신을 거듭하여 이제 팽팽히 당겨진 실도 필요 없이 먼 곳에서도 영상통화는 물론 전자책까지도 담아낼 수 있는 종이 스마트폰으로 진화하였다.
지난 5월3일 캐나다 퀸스대학교 휴먼미디어랩은 종이처럼 얇고 구부러지면서도 전화통화도 하고 책도 저장하며 음악도 재생하는 <페이퍼폰>이라 명명한 종이 스마트폰의 시제품을 유튜브를 통해 처음 공개하였다. 디스플레이장치는 대각선 길이가 9.5cm인 얇은 필름으로 만들어졌는데, 구부리면 전화기로 동작하고 모서리를 접으면 페이지를 넘기며 위에 펜으로 쓰면 글자가 입력되는 등 그야말로 사람과 상호작용하는 작은 컴퓨터 종이라 할 수 있다.
<페이퍼폰>의 기술적 핵심은 이른바 ‘플렉시블 디스플레이’ 기술이다. 플렉시블 디스플레이는 구부리거나 돌돌 말고 접어도 깨지지 않고 변함없는 화질을 보여주는 미래형 디스플레이로 오랫동안 연구 개발이 시도되어 왔다. 작년 초 HP사는 뛰어난 영상 화질과 저전력을 구현하는 대형 플렉시블 디스플레이를 공개함으로써 플렉시블 디스플레이의 상용화가 가까워졌음을 암시하였고, 작년 말 삼성전자도 세계에서 가장 얇고 깨지지 않는 10.1인치 플라스틱 LCD 패널을 선보인 바 있다. 지난 3월말 지식경제 연구개발 사업화의 투자방향 설정과 사업 구조조정 등 주요 지식경제 정책을 심의·조정하는 총괄 기구인 지식경제 R&D 전략기획단은 미래 산업을 선도할 6대 후보 과제 중의 하나로 투명 플렉시블 디스플레이 및 응용 제품을 선정한 바도 있다.
종이 스마트폰이 상용화되어 보급된다면 장안에 화제가 되었던 와이셔츠에 아이폰을 넣었다가 구두끈을 묶으려고 숙이는 순간 떨어져 액정이 깨지는 안타까운 일은 더 이상 걱정할 필요가 없다. 바지 주머니에 스마트폰을 집어넣어 바짓가랑이가 툭 튀어나와 보이는 어색함도 없어진다. 배터리 소모도 획기적으로 줄어들어 일주일에 한 번 정도의 충전으로 충분하다. 종이 스마트폰 안에 수백 수천만장의 종이에 쓸 내용을 저장할 수 있어 종이 없는 서재나 사무실이 가능해 진다. 종이를 만들기 위해 나무를 베어내어 환경을 파괴할 필요가 없어지므로 지구 환경보전에 일익을 담당하게 되는 것이다.
종이 스마트폰과 같은 첨단 전자기기의 등장은 이렇듯 편리함과 실용적 가치를 주지만 사람을 점점 삭막하고 참을성 없게 만들어 가는 것 같다. 휴대성이 점점 좋아지는 통신수단은 사람을 일에 묶어놓아 여유를 없게 하고, 다운로드해서 디스플레이를 통해 보는 전자책은 무언가 좋은 자연환경에서 책을 보는 낭만과는 괴리가 있어 삭막함을 느끼게 한다. 정보 접근과 획득이 즉각적으로 이루어지게 해서 그런지 모든 일에서 서두르고 참을성도 없어지는 것 같다. 감성, 낭만, 여유 같은 아날로그적인 가치가 디지털 기기에 의해 점점 밀려나는 것 같아 아쉽다.
종이처럼 휘거나 구겨진다는 점에서 <페이퍼폰>은 딱딱하고 정형적인 스마트폰과는 달리 다소나마 아날로그적인 느낌을 준다. 디지털 기기지만 아날로그적인 가치를 결합한 하이브리드형 휴대 전자기기는 만들어내기 어려운 것일까? 종이 스마트폰의 등장을 바라보며 진정한 종이에 담긴 긍정적 이미지를 담아내는 휴대 단말기로 진화하는 길은 없을까 하는 상상을 해본다.
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