Flexibility
The first articles we ever read in class talked about a flexible, e-interface. Whatever it might be, whether a pad, or a sheet, this futuristic technology would revolutionize the way be think about mobile technology and could essentially replace paper.
When we spoke about a bendable computer, one that could be rolled up, thrown around, and be downloaded I was amazed. I never thought about computing in such a way and imagined a future where such technologies would be ubiquitous. I never would have imagined that time would be now.
Recently, Fujitsu debuted the world's first film substrate-based electronic paper. The "paper" comes with a memory function which allows for continuous display of the same image even when the electricity is off. It is based off a photoconductivity technology that uses only 1/100 to 1/10,000 of the energy usually needed in conventional display technologies. Once an image is set, it is held there by static charges – like an electronic Etch-a-Sketch . The technology also ensures that the quality will not be compromised when bent and that the colors will not alter either.
Examples of what this technology can be used for include: Transit advertising on trains, information displays on curved surfaces, electronic shelf display tags, point-of-purchase displays, restaurant menus, pperating manuals, work orders, and other short-term information displays. Furthermore, because of its digital components, information updating would be instant and cost-efficient.
Fuji Xerox is also getting in on the new business and is actually planning to sell E-paper Visual Index Cards next year.
In response, NEC (an electronics company specializing in semiconductors) has recently developed a 0.3mm thick flexible battery technology, that can also (allegedly) recharge in about 30 seconds. The battery is completely bendable and was invented to go hand-in-hand with the new electronic paper technology being developed.
Comments
Posted by: csh11
Posted on: December 14, 2005 04:01 AM
They've been talking about this stuff for years, still nothing on the market. I was excited about e-ink or whatever years back. I thought "infinite books" in the form factor of a single book. You could carry one book that would be anything you wanted it to be. Man, this would be so nice for my backpack. Still nothing.