Nokia has, in the last few months, come up with some offbeat products and concept ideas, (read the Nokia 3110 Evolve , Nokia Eco-sensor mobile). Now the Finnish company along with the University of Cambridge is developing a concept technology called Morph, capable of making future mobile devices flexible enough to change shapes. Anyone reminded of Flubber, Robin Williams’ gooey pal in the 1997 flick of the same name?

Morph, as the concept has been dubbed, entails stretchable and flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces that will give nanotechnology ultimate functionality.

Nanotechnology, for those not clued in, is technology aimed at making products lighter, stronger, cleaner, less expensive and more precise.

The Morph concept uses a similar principle as spider silk, enabling elasticity in mobile devices so they could be transformed into different shapes depending on the task at hand. So, you could have a folded design when you want to use it as a traditional mobile device or have a large unfolded design when you want a larger keypad, touchpad and better display.

Morph, if implemented successfully could lead to mobile devices with transparent materials that are dust and fingerprint proof, use solar energy for recharge and come with in-built sensors to provide info about the environment. The latter would be an extension to Nokia’s Eco Sensor concept, which involves a wearable mobile phone and a sensing device that analyzes a person's health and surrounding environment.

Some elements of Morph could be integrated into high-end mobile devices in the next seven years. Eventually nanotechnology used in Morph could lead to lower-cost devices and allow for more functionality in a much smaller space, Nokia said.

The Morph concept is being featured at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City now and will continue up to May 12, as part of the Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition.