Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
1 comment 
Young Man in China Surprises by Developing a Functional Foldable Phone from Scratch, Combining 3D Printing Technology with Reused Parts
While big companies spend billions to create foldable phones, a Chinese teenager managed to make his own model at home. Lan Bowen, 17 years old, used parts from old phones, a 3D printer, and a lot of creativity to assemble a device that really works. His project became popular on the internet and even caught the attention of a major phone manufacturer.
The Young Inventor
Lan Bowen is a first-year high school student in the city of Yichang, China. Since he was little, he has enjoyed observing phones and finding ways to improve them.
On February 16, Lan published a six-minute video on social media showing how he built his foldable phone. In the video, he appears assembling the device, explaining the challenges of the project, and testing its functionality.
-
Japan is transforming dirty diapers from babies and the elderly into an ambitious and surprising project that could forever change the way the world deals with one of the most difficult types of waste to dispose of.
-
Goodbye to waste: a Brazilian created a revolutionary brick that uses construction debris, has already entered the markets of the United Kingdom and the USA, and promises to shake up the global construction industry.
-
China has created a mass-produced hypersonic missile that costs the same as a Tesla, and this is changing everything in modern warfare because the United States cannot defend itself without spending millions.
-
100% Brazilian technology transforms agricultural waste into a meat-scented ingredient using fungi from the Amazon rainforest. The process does not use excessive water or chemicals, and it also increases the nutritional value of the final product.
What drew the most attention was that, unlike the models already available on the market, Lan’s phone folds with the screen facing out. The post went viral and has already received over 5 million views.
In the video, Lan explained why he gave the device a curious name. “I call it the meal card machine because its length and width are similar to that of a cafeteria meal card when folded, though it is much thicker.”
A New Type of Foldable Phone
Lan noticed that the most common foldable phones function in two ways: they fold horizontally or fold inwards, protecting the screen. No model folded outwards. That’s when he decided to try something new.
With a 3D printer he bought last year for about 275 dollars (approximately R$ 1,618.65), he created the phone’s structure. For the internal parts, he used pieces from old family phones and bought others online.
The result was a device 16 mm thick, thicker than the models sold today, but it works well and was enough to showcase the young man’s talent.
The Challenges of the Project
Creating a functional phone wasn’t easy. One of the biggest problems Lan encountered was getting the touchscreen to work when the device was opened: “I found that the reason was that the screen was pushed out when open“.
He realized that when opening the phone, the screen was pushed out, causing it to not respond to touch. After several tests and some broken screens, he finally managed to solve the problem.
Despite the success of the project, Lan confirmed that there is still much to improve. “My smartphone is at a very primitive stage, with many deficiencies, but the good side is that it is capable of implementing all the functions of a normal phone,” he stated.
Success and Recognition
Lan’s project caught the attention of thousands of people. Many praised his creativity and effort.
One internet user commented: “I see in him a smaller version of Lei Jun, founder of Xiaomi.” Another highlighted Lan’s ability to explain his creations: “He not only crafts well, but also has a good expression ability and makes videos skillfully.”
The recognition didn’t come only from the public. According to the South China Morning Post, Vivo, one of the largest phone manufacturers in China, also commented on the young man’s video. “It’s great! Vivo expects even more wonderful work from you.”
Passion Since Childhood
Even with all this talent, Lan admits that he is not the best student in school. He says he has difficulties in most subjects, except for English and geography. But he has always enjoyed creating things with his own hands.
Since he was little, he has shown interest in military models and other inventions. His parents, a taxi driver and an insurance seller, have always supported him and encouraged his talent.
With information from ZME Science.
Bǎi zhì huán jiàng wèi zhōng guó fā míng zhě