e paper technology research paper

• Physical Sciences
• Materials Science
• Electrochromics

Review Paper: A critical review of the present and future prospects for electronic paper

• February 2011
• Journal of the Society for Information Display 19(2)

• University of Cincinnati

• Yonsei University
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Trends and future of e-paper technologies

• School of Integrated Technology

Research output : Contribution to conference › Paper › peer-review

Today's in this world of highly informative society, the custormer requirements for display device is ever more demanding. Recently introduced e-paper technology, getting momentum on the step towards commercializations have to meet such demands in many aspects. In this talk, we will address challenging issues at hand and suggest some of the most proper solutions.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

• Hardware and Architecture
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials

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• Link to publication in Scopus

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• Engineering Process Chemistry 100%
• Momentum Chemistry 50%
• Aqueous Solution Chemistry 50%
• Display Devices Computer Science 50%

T1 - Trends and future of e-paper technologies

AU - Lee, Sang Yoon

AU - Bae, Jungmok

AU - Kwon, Jang Yeon

AU - Koo, Bonwon

AU - Choi, Jae Young

AU - Choi, Byoung Lyong

AU - Park, Shang Hyeun

AU - Jin, Yong Wan

AU - Kim, Jong Min

N2 - Today's in this world of highly informative society, the custormer requirements for display device is ever more demanding. Recently introduced e-paper technology, getting momentum on the step towards commercializations have to meet such demands in many aspects. In this talk, we will address challenging issues at hand and suggest some of the most proper solutions.

AB - Today's in this world of highly informative society, the custormer requirements for display device is ever more demanding. Recently introduced e-paper technology, getting momentum on the step towards commercializations have to meet such demands in many aspects. In this talk, we will address challenging issues at hand and suggest some of the most proper solutions.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954173371&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77954173371&partnerID=8YFLogxK

AN - SCOPUS:77954173371

T2 - 16th International Display Workshops, IDW '09

Y2 - 9 December 2009 through 11 December 2009

• Corpus ID: 250222322

Research on E-Paper Technology

• Navi Mumbai , India Maharastra
• Published 2022
• Engineering, Materials Science, Computer Science

2 References

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The Future of E-Paper: Innovations and Breakthroughs

Introduction.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, E-Paper has been a quiet yet transformative player. This article delves into the future of E-Paper, exploring the innovations and breakthroughs that promise to reshape how we interact with digital content.

Evolution of E-Paper Technology

From its inception as a monochrome, low-resolution display to today’s high-resolution, color-capable screens, E-Paper technology has come a long way. The journey has been marked by continuous innovation, driven by the quest for an optimal blend of readability and technological advancement.

Advantages of E-Paper

Before we plunge into the future, let’s acknowledge the advantages that have made E-Paper a staple in the tech realm. Its readability in various lighting conditions, reduced eye strain, and commendable battery life make it an appealing choice for diverse applications.

Types of E-Paper Technologies

4.1. electrophoretic displays (epd).

E Ink’s Electrophoretic Displays (EPD), popularized by devices like Kindle, continue to dominate the E-Paper landscape. Their high contrast and low power consumption make them a preferred choice for e-readers.

4.2. Electrowetting Displays (EWD)

Electrowetting Displays are gaining traction for their ability to produce vibrant colors and faster refresh rates. This technology expands the possibilities beyond traditional black and white displays.

4.3. Electrofluidic Displays (EFD)

EFD introduces flexibility to E-Paper, paving the way for foldable and bendable displays. This innovation holds promise for diverse applications beyond traditional e-readers.

Recent Innovations in E-Paper

5.1. color capabilities.

Recent advancements have brought color to E-Paper displays, challenging the traditional perception of monochrome e-readers. This innovation enhances the visual experience and widens the scope of applications.

5.2. Flexibility and Durability

The integration of flexible substrates and durable materials has made E-Paper more resilient. Foldable displays are becoming a reality, offering a new dimension to the portability of digital content.

5.3. Enhanced Interactivity

Innovations in touch-sensitive E-Paper allow for increased interactivity. The ability to interact with digital content through touch gestures adds a layer of engagement previously reserved for traditional screens.

Breakthroughs Shaping the Future

6.1. nanotechnology integration.

Nanotechnology is making its mark in E-Paper development. Nanoparticles enhance display resolution and enable new functionalities, propelling E-Paper into realms of precision and detail.

6.2. Solar-Powered E-Paper

The integration of solar cells into E-Paper devices is a breakthrough in sustainability. Imagine a future where your e-reader charges itself as you bask in natural light—an innovation with profound implications.

6.3. AI Integration for Personalized Experiences

Artificial Intelligence is entering the E-Paper arena, offering personalized content recommendations and adaptive displays. This breakthrough ensures that your E-Paper device evolves with your preferences over time.

Applications Beyond E-Readers

7.1. e-paper in wearables.

Imagine wearable devices with E-Paper displays seamlessly blending into your attire. E-Paper’s low power consumption aligns well with the demands of wearables, offering a stylish and practical solution.

7.2. E-Paper in Smart Homes

E-Paper’s readability in various lighting conditions makes it an ideal candidate for smart home displays. From kitchen appliances to wall-mounted information hubs, E-Paper’s versatility finds new avenues.

7.3. E-Paper in Healthcare

E-Paper is making inroads into healthcare, with applications in electronic medical records and patient information displays. The low eye strain and high visibility contribute to a conducive healthcare environment.

Challenges and Solutions

As we envision a future dominated by E-Paper, challenges such as production costs and limited color options persist. Ongoing research and industry collaboration are essential to addressing these challenges and unlocking the full potential of E-Paper.

Environmental Impact and Sustainability

E-Paper’s minimal energy consumption and the integration of sustainable materials position it as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional displays. The move towards solar-powered E-Paper further amplifies its environmental credentials.

Consumer Adoption and Market Trends

Consumer adoption of E-Paper devices is on the rise, driven by a growing awareness of its benefits. Market trends indicate a shift towards multifunctional E-Paper devices catering to diverse needs beyond reading.

E-Paper in Education

The future of education is becoming intertwined with E-Paper. Its potential to reduce eye strain and provide distraction-free reading makes it a valuable tool for students and educators alike.

The Future Landscape: What to Expect

As we peer into the future, expect E-Paper to become an integral part of our daily lives. The marriage of breakthrough technologies, sustainability, and expanded applications will redefine how we consume and interact with digital content.

In conclusion, the future of E-Paper is a canvas of innovation waiting to be painted. From color displays to solar-powered functionalities and AI integration, the trajectory is set for a dynamic and engaging E-Paper experience. As we embrace these innovations, the way we interact with digital content will undergo a paradigm shift.

• Yes, recent advancements in E-Paper technology have enabled color displays, expanding the visual spectrum beyond traditional monochrome.
• Nanotechnology is enhancing display resolution and introducing new functionalities, contributing to the precision and detail in E-Paper devices.
• Absolutely, the integration of solar cells into E-Paper devices is a breakthrough in sustainability, paving the way for self-charging devices in the future.
• Yes, the integration of Artificial Intelligence allows E-Paper devices to offer personalized content recommendations and adaptive displays.
• E-Paper is finding applications in wearables, smart homes, and healthcare, showcasing its versatility beyond traditional e-readers.

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E-Paper Displays:A Case Study

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Despite the drive to digitise learning, paper still holds a prominent role within educational settings. While computational devices have several advantages over paper (e.g. changing and showing content based on user interaction and needs) their prolonged or incorrect usage can hinder educational achievements. In this paper, we combine the interactivity of computational devices with paper whilst reducing the usage of technology to the minimum. To this end, we developed and evaluated a novel back-print illumination paper display called LightMeUp where different information printed on the back side of the paper becomes visible when paper is placed on an interactive display and back-illuminated with a particular colour. To develop this novel display, we first built a display simulator that enables the simulation of various spectral characteristics of the elements used in the system (i.e. light sources such as tablet computers, paper types and printing inks). By using our simulator, we d...

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E- paper is portable, re-useable and storage display device. it works by using E-ink technology. it is not backlit . Epaper is two types i.e., non-flexible and flexible. flexible displays uses plastic substrates and plastic electronics for the display backplane. Think of a technology that could provide you with a large display screen which uses less battery power then the backlight of your cell phone. Think of a revolution which will replace CRT, LCD AND TFT in few years and change the way we view our daily digital gizmos

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With the rise of electrophoretic-display media from several sources, the world is opening up for new uses of electronic displays. Where "immersive reading" used to be a task strictly reserved for paper, displays can now fulfill that role. Many challenges still remain, such as full-color photograph-like performance and video speeds. However, in view of recent accomplishments showing near-video-speed switching and potential for full color, after electrophoretic displays obtain a slice of the reading market, application of these developments will take us a significant step towards full-color animated paper-like displays. The developments that have led to the presence of electronic paper in the market today will be described, and developments that are about to happen will be discussed.

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Editor’s note: Apple is said to be testing color e-paper displays from E Ink for the iPhone, according to recent reports . It’s a promising step for E Ink’s two-decade-long campaign to bring full-color e-paper into the world. To learn more about E Ink’s technology, read our feature by E-Ink scientists Edzer Huitema and Ian French below.

It was the end of 2008, October, right before the holiday shopping season. Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey released her highly anticipated Favorite Things list, with the Amazon Kindle topping the gadget category.

This is the moment that the concept of electronic paper, or e-paper, went mainstream.

But this black-and-white, reflective display that always appeared to be on was invented well before the Amazon Kindle made it famous. Its story began a decade earlier, in 1997, at the MIT Media Lab , when it was created by two students, J.D. Albert and Barrett Comiskey, who were inspired by their professor Joseph Jacobson.

From the very beginning, e-paper seemed magical. It was easy on the eyes, even outdoors and in bright sunlight, where other portable displays became unreadable. It could go weeks between charges while mobiles equipped with other displays barely made it through a day (some of them still barely make it through a day). Yet its limitation was obvious—images could appear only in black and white. In a world that hadn’t seen a monochrome display in a very long time—TVs made the switch in the 1960s, computer monitors in the late ’80s—a monochrome display was definitely quaintly old school.

So, since the initial development of electronic ink, as the basic technology behind e-paper is known, and even more with the release of the Kindle, a big question hung over e-paper: When would we see this magical display in brilliant, blazing color?It’s not that people hadn’t been trying. Electronic-ink researchers had been pursuing color e-paper for years, as had other researchers around the world, in universities, corporate research labs, and startups. They came up with some early products that targeted shelf labels for brick-and-mortar retail stores and also for signage. But these added just one color to a black-and-white screen—red or yellow—and that wasn’t anybody’s idea of a full-color display. Indeed, more than a decade after that first Kindle, and more than two decades after its invention, full-color e-paper had still not reached the consumer market.

Why did it take so long for e-paper to make that Wizard-of-Oz transition from black and white to color? Over the years, researchers tried several approaches, some taking technologies from more traditional displays, others evolving from the original e-paper’s unique design. Qualcomm, for example, spent billions pursuing an approach inspired by butterfly wings. Overall, the path to successful color e-paper is a classic, if tortuous, tale of tech triumph. Read on to find out why this seemingly straightforward challenge was only realized just two years ago at E Ink, where we are chief technical officers.

Today, E Ink’s full-color ePaper is in consumer hands, in products including e-readers and smartphones and note-taking devices, and from roughly a dozen manufacturers. These include the Guoyue Smartbook V5 Color , the HiSense A5C Color Smartphone , the Onyx Boox Poke 2 Color , and the PocketBook Color . Only one other full-color electronic paper product has been announced—DES (Display Electronic Slurry) from China’s Dalian Good Display . At this writing, no devices using DES have shipped to consumers, though a handful of journalists have received samples and two Kickstarter campaigns feature products designed to use the display.

The challenge stemmed from the nature of the technology. Black-and-white electronic ink is a straightforward fusion of chemistry, physics, and electronics, and it does pretty much what traditional ink and paper does. E Ink’s version is made of microcapsules of negatively charged black particles and positively charged white particles—the same pigments used in the printing industry today—floating in clear liquid. Each microcapsule is about the width of a human hair.

To manufacture our ePaper display, we start by making batches of this electronic ink, then use it to coat a plastic substrate some 25 to 100 micrometers thick, depending on which product it’s intended for. We then cut the rolls of coated film into the desired display size and add thin-film transistors to create electrodes above and below the ink layer, which is sandwiched between protective sheets, and, possibly, touch panels or front lights.

To produce an image, an ePaper device applies different voltages to the top and bottom electrodes to create an electric field. At the top, the voltage is close to zero, and at the bottom it alternates among –15, 0, or 15. Every time the image on the screen needs to change, a specific sequence of voltages applied to the bottom electrode moves the particles from their previous position to the position needed to show the correct color for the new image. This update time typically takes less than half a second.

Bringing white particles to the top of the display creates the appearance of “paper”; black ones create “ink.” But the particles don’t have to sit at the very top or very bottom; when we stop generating that electric field, the particles stop in their tracks. This means we can create a mixture of black-and-white particles near the top of the display—appearing as shades of grey.

The software that determines the timing and the voltages applied to each electrode is complex. The choices depend on what was previously displayed at that pixel. If a black pixel in one image will be black again in the next image, for example, no voltage needs to be applied at that spot. We also have to be careful with the transitions; we don’t want a previous image to linger, yet we don’t want an abrupt change to cause the screen to flash. These are but a few of the factors we took into consideration when designing the algorithms, called waveforms, that we use to set the sequence of voltages. Designing them is as much art as science.

To bring color into the equation greatly complicates the waveforms. Black and white is a simple dichotomy, given that an electric field can create either a positive or a negative charge. That approach can’t accommodate full-color digital paper. We needed something entirely new.

We started exploring options in the early 2000s. One of our first commercially launched color products, in 2010, used a color filter—an array of squares printed onto a layer of glass placed on top of the standard black-and-white ink layer. When we applied a charge to move the white particles to the surface at a selected spot, the light would bounce back to the viewer through the red, green, or blue filter above it. It was an obvious approach: All of the colors visible to humans can be created with combinations of red, green, and blue light, which is why most of today’s most common display technologies, like LCDs and OLEDs, use RGB emitters or color filters.

We called our product E Ink Triton. While an electronic textbook did launch with the technology, the main thing this effort taught us was what would not work for the consumer market. Its resolution was simply too low and the colors not bright enough for people who were used to the high resolution of tablet computers or print magazines.

The brightness problem stemmed from the fact that unlike LCDs and OLEDs, which, respectively, use a backlight or emit light directly, E Ink’s displays are fully reflective. That is, light from an outside source goes through the transparent cover, hits the ink layer, and bounces back to the viewer’s eyes. This arrangement is great for outdoor use, because reflective displays are enhanced rather than washed out by bright sunlight. And the displays are good for eye comfort, because they don’t shine light directly at a user. But with a reflective system, every layer between the ink and eye absorbs or scatters some of the light. Adding that color filter layer, it turned out, caused significant dimming.

In addition, using a color filter to split monochrome pixels into three colored pixels reduced the overall resolution. A display originally having a resolution of 300 pixels per inch, with an addition of a three-color filter, now has a resolution of 100 pixels per inch. This was not as much of an issue for a 32-inch display used as a sign—pixel sizes could be larger, and big letters don’t require high resolution. But it was a real problem for small fonts and line drawings on handheld devices.

While our researchers were coming up with this filtered display, others in our labs focused on a different approach, called multipigment, that didn’t rely on color filters. However, that approach requires far more complicated chemistry and mechanics.

Multipigment e-paper also shares fundamentals with its monochrome predecessors. However, instead of only two types of particles, there are now three or four, depending on the colors chosen for a particular application.

We needed to get these particles to respond uniquely to electric fields, not simply be attracted or repelled. We did a few things to our ink particles to allow them to be better sorted. We made the particles different sizes—larger particles will generally move more slowly in liquid than smaller ones. We varied the charges of the particles, taking advantage of the fact that charge is more analog than digital. That is, it can be very positive, a little positive, very negative, or a little negative. And a lot of gradations in between.

Once we had our particles differentiated, we had to adapt our waveforms; instead of just sending one set of particles to the top as another goes to the bottom, we both push and pull them to create an image. For example, we can push particles of one color to the top, then pull them back a little so they mix with other particles to create a specific shade. Cyan and yellow together, for example, produce green, with white particles providing a reflective background. The closer a particle is to the surface, the greater the intensity of that color in the mix.

We also changed the shape of our container, from a sphere to a trapezoid, which gave us better control over the vertical position of the particles. We call these containers Microcups.

For the three-particle system, now on the market as E Ink Spectra and used primarily in electronic shelf labels (ESLs), we put black, white, and red or black, white, and yellow pigments into each Microcup. In 2021, we added a fourth particle to this system; our new generation uses black, white, red, and yellow particles. These are great for generating deeply saturated colors with high contrast, but these four colors cannot be combined to create full-color images. This technology was first launched in 2013 for retail ESLs. Companies have built E Ink screens into millions of these tags, shipping them throughout the world to retailers such as Best Buy, Macy’s, and Walmart. Similar electrophoretic shelf labels that use displays from China’s DKE Co. have since come on the market.

For our true, full-color system, which we call Advanced Color ePaper (ACeP), we also use four particles, but we have dropped the black and rely on white—our paper—along with cyan, magenta, and yellow, the colors used in inkjet printers. By stopping the particles at different levels, we can use these particles to create up to 50,000 colors. The resulting display renders colors like those in newspapers or even watercolor art.

E Ink launched ACeP as E Ink Gallery in 2016. Again, it wasn’t appropriate for consumer devices, because of slow refresh rates. Also, as it’s a reflective display without a backlight, the colors were too muted for consumers accustomed to bright smartphone and tablet displays. For now, it has been geared predominantly toward use in retail signs in Asia.

Realizing we still weren’t hitting the consumer-market sweet spot with our color displays, our R&D team went back to take another look at Triton, the system that used RGB color filters. What worked and what didn’t? Were there modifications we could make to finally produce a color e-reader that consumers would want?

We knew the filters were sapping brightness. We were pretty sure we could significantly reduce this loss by getting the filters closer to the electronic ink.

We also wanted to increase the resolution of the displays, which meant a much finer color-filter array. To get a resolution more in line with what consumers are accustomed to, we had to shoot for at least 200 pixels per square inch. That’s about twice the density we were able to achieve with our first round of Triton displays.

Compared with the complexity of formulating inks with a variety of charges, as we had done in developing ACeP, you might think this would have been easy. But it ended up requiring a new technology to print the color filters on the glass substrate.

We had created our earlier filters by printing semi-transparent red, green, and blue ink on glass. But this glass was an added layer. So we decided to print directly onto the plastic film that holds the top electrode, adding this step after our display modules were nearing the end of the assembly process. This arrangement would get the filters as close to the electronic ink as possible. It would also allow us to increase resolution, because aligning the filters with the display pixels could be done more precisely than was possible when using a separate surface.

We found the type of printer we needed at the German company Plastic Logic , a partner of E Ink since the early days of the company. But this printer was intended for use in an R&D lab, not for high-volume production. The processes it used had to be converted to operate in a different, production-ready machine.

We also needed to figure out new printing patterns for the color filter. These are the actual shapes and arrangements of the red, blue, and green filters. We had found through working on Triton that printing the filters as a simple square grid was not the best option, as the pattern could be visible during certain image transitions. And so the hunt for the perfect pattern was on. We went through many iterations, considering the angle at which light hit the display, as this angle could easily shift the color seen by the user. We evaluated a grid, straight printed lines, long lines, and a host of other designs, and settled on a pattern of short lines.

Because this is a reflective display, the more light hitting the display, the brighter it is. The research team decided to add a front light to the display, something that was not part of Triton, working hard to ensure that the light rays hit the ink layer at an angle that maximizes reflectivity. Using a front light increases energy consumption, of course, but it’s worth it in this case.

As a result, E Ink’s new color technology, E Ink Kaleido, has significantly more saturated colors and a better contrast ratio than E Ink Triton. And finally, a full-color electronic-ink display was ready for use in consumer products.

The first official batch of Kaleido displays rolled off the manufacturing line in late 2019. We began shipping to customers soon after, and you can now see the technology in products like the Hisense A5C, the iFlytek Book C1 , and the PocketBook Color, all of which were launched in 2020. A second generation of Kaleido, called Kaleido Plus, began shipping in early 2021, with products released by Onyx and PocketBook and more launching soon. This update improved color saturation thanks to adjustments made in the printing pattern and the light guides for the front light.

We have a few things to work on. Light efficiency, the fraction of incoming light that makes its way back out to the user’s eyes, is good but it could be better. We are continuing to work on our film layers to further cut this loss.

By continuing to refine our printing pattern, we are also working to improve resolution by using denser circuitry in the electronics that sit below the ink layer and turn voltages on and off to move the charged particles.

We are also continuing to work on our filterless, multipigment electronic-ink technology. We expect to release a new generation for use in signage soon, and it will include brighter colors and faster page updates. Someday we might even be able to move this into consumer devices.

When E Ink’s researchers set out exploring color electronic ink in the early 2000s, they thought it would be a matter of a few years to fruition, given our expertise with the technology. After all, black-and-white e-paper took only 10 years from concept to commercialization. The road to full color turned out to be much longer. But, just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, we finally made it over the rainbow.

This article appears in the February 2022 print issue as “E Ink’s Technicolor Moment.”

• Write Without Distraction With This DIY E-Ink Typewriter - IEEE ... ›
• CES 2011: Duel of the Color E-reader Displays - IEEE Spectrum ›
• BMW’s iVision Dee Brings Sci-Fi to the Driveway - IEEE Spectrum ›
• BMW unveils car that can change its color using E Ink | VentureBeat ›
• E Ink We Make Surfaces Smarter. ›

Edzer Huitema is chief technology officer (USA) for E Ink . He previously worked with new display technologies at Apple and startups Polyera and Polymer Vision .

Ian French is chief technology officer (Taiwan) for E Ink and was technical lead on E Ink’s Kaleido project.

I don't mind self-serving articles such as this where the authors are employed by the company commercializing the technology discussed in the written article. I do mind when the long history of technical development is left out and only the latest achievement is presented as the whole story.

The idea of a black and white display using rotating balls was invented in the late '60s or early 70's by NIcholas Sheridon at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). This is described in a Scientific American story

http://www.cev.washington.edu/lc/CLWEBCLB/electpaper.html

and Sheridon has patents dating from 1968 and before (Writing system including paper-like digitally addressed media and addressing device therefor, USPTO 5389945A among many others.)

While E-Ink deserves all the credit they can capture for bringing a color display to market, to state in the third paragraph of the article that the B&W display technology came out of the MIT Media Lab from two grad students and a professor in 1997 is just plain false. Shame on the authors for being so disingenuous and shame on Spectrum for not fact checking better.

I have one of the Qualcomm demo tablet mock-ups for their butterfly wing color screen, sadly damaged but it’s a neat relic. The display could create full color and play video but depended on ambient light and had a bit of a washed out look.

Edzer and Ian, very impressed with the history you shared of your engineering achievements. Twenty years of innovation is exceptional. Congratulations.

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Top 10 e-paper technologies in the next 20 years

Over the next two decades, conventional print and static information displays will slip into the electronic realm as breakthroughs in e-paper technologies unfold.  Today's portable touchscreen devices and e-readers like the Kindle and Nook are paving the way for next-gen e-devices with magazine-quality color, viewable in bright sunlight, but requiring low power. They'll also be durable, flexible, and even contain video.

The University of Cincinnati's Jason Heikenfeld, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and an internationally recognized researcher in the field of electrofluidics, is the lead author.

• Color e-readers will be out in the consumer market by mid year in 2011. (Heads up, manufacturers are already bringing them to market ).  However, cautions Heikenfeld, the color will be muted as compared to what consumers are accustomed to, say, on an iPad. Researchers will continue to work toward next-generation (brighter) color in e-Readers as well as high-speed functionality that will eventually allow for point-and-click web browsing and video on devices like the Kindle.

Already in use but expansive adoption and breakthroughs imminent:

• Electronic shelf labels in grocery stores. Currently, it takes an employee the whole day to label the shelves in a grocery store. Imagine the cost savings if all such labels could be updated within seconds – allowing for, say, specials for one type of consumer who shops at 10 a.m. and updated specials for other shoppers stopping in at 5:30 p.m. Such electronic shelf labels are already in use in Europe and the West Coast and in limited, experimental use in other locales. The breakthrough for use of such electronic labels came when they could be implemented as low-power devices. Explained Heikenfeld, "The electronic labels basically only consume significant power when they are changed. When it's a set, static message and price, the e-shelf label is consuming such minimal power – thanks to reflective display technology – that it's highly economical and effective." The current e-shelf labels are monochrome, and researchers will keep busy to create high-color labels with low-power needs.
• The new "no knobs" etch-a-sketch . This development allows children to draw with electronic ink and erase the whole screen with the push of a button. It was created based on technology developed in Ohio (Kent State University). Stated Heikenfeld, "Ohio institutions, namely the University of Cincinnati and Kent State, are international leaders in display and liquid optics technology."
• Technology in hot-selling Glow Boards will soon come to signage. Crayola's Glow Board is partially based on UC technology developments, which Crayola then licensed. While the toy allows children to write on a surface that lights up, the technology has many applications, and consumers can expect to see those imminently. These include indoor and outdoor sign displays that when turned off, seem to be clear windows. (Current LCD – liquid crystal display – sign technology requires extremely high power usage, and when turned off, provide nothing more than a non-transparent black background.)
• An e-device that will consume little power while also providing high function and color (video playing and web browsing) while also featuring good visibility in sunligh t. Cautions Heikenfeld, "The color on this first-generation low-power, high-function e-device won't be as bright as what you get today from LCD (liquid crystal display) devices (like the iPad) that consume a lot of power. The color on the new low-power, high-function e-device will be about one third as bright as the color you commonly see on printed materials. Researchers, like those of us at UC, will continue to work to produce the Holy Grail of an e-device: bright color, high function (video and web browsing) with low power usage."

By 2014-2016:

• Color adaptable e-device casings . The color and/or designed pattern of the plastic casing that encloses your cell phone will be adaptable. In other words, you'll be able to change the color of the phone itself to a professional black-and-white for work or to a bright and vivid color pattern for a social outing. "This is highly achievable," said Heikenfeld, adding, "It will be able to change color either automatically by reading the color of your outfit that day or by means of a downloaded app. It's possible because of low-power, reflective technology" (wherein the displayed pattern or color change is powered by available ambient light vs. powered by an electrical charge).

Expect the same feature to become available in devices like appliances. "Yes," said Heikenfeld, "We'll see a color-changing app, so that you can have significant portions of your appliances be one color one day and a different color or pattern the next."

• Bright-color but low-power digital billboards visible both night and day . Currently, the digital billboards commonly seen are based on LEDs (liquid crystal displays), which consume high levels of electric power and still lose color when in direct sunlight. Heikenfeld explained, "We have the technology that would allow these digital billboards to operate by simply reflecting ambient light, just like conventional printed billboards do. That means low power usage and good visibility for the displays even in bright sunlight. However, the color doesn't really sizzle yet, and many advertisers using billboards will not tolerate a washed-out color."
• Foldable or roll-it-up e-devices . Expect that the first-generation foldable e-devices will be monochrome. Color will come later. The first foldable e-devices will come from Polymer Vision in the Netherlands. Color is expected later, using licensed UC-developed technology. The challenge, according to Heikenfeld, in creating foldable e-devices has been the device screen, which is currently made of rigid glass. But what if the screen were a paper-thin plastic that rolled like a window shade? You'd have a device like an iPad that could be folded or rolled up tens of thousands of times. Just roll it up and stick it in your pocket. See a video.

By 2021-2031:

• e-Devices with magazine-quality color, viewable in bright sunlight but requiring low power . "Think of this as the green iPad or e-Reader, combining high function and high color with low power requirements." said Heikenfeld.
• The e-Sheet , a virtually indestructible e-device that will be as thin and as rollable as a rubber place mat. It will be full color and interactive, while requiring low power to operate since it will charge via sunlight and ambient room light. However, it will be so "tough" and only use wireless connection ports, such that you can leave it out over night in the rain. In fact, you'll be able to wash it or drop it without damaging the thin, highly flexible casing.

The future of e-paper looks colorful and pervasive as researchers work to overcome key challenges, such as bridging the gap between reflective electronic displays and print-on-paper.

Source: University of Cincinnati

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