New E-Paper Could Show Moving Images Too
Even before the electronic ink has dried on the e-page, a new generation of electronic paper may soon be able to bring a moving image to a foldable screen near you, according to scientists in the Netherlands.
Hot on the heels of the invention of a wafer-thin foldable screen that can display static type and may one day replace newspapers as it can be overwritten each day, scientists at Philips Research in Eindhoven have found a way to display high-definition moving pictures as well.
Using a process called electrowetting, the scientists claim to be able to manipulate colored oils in the pixels on the page with such speed and accuracy as to be able to generate clear and accurate video displays.
"The reflectivity and contrast of our system approach those of paper," they wrote in the science journal Nature. "In addition, we demonstrate a color concept which is intrinsically four times brighter than reflective liquid-crystal displays and twice as bright as other emerging technologies."
Not only does e-paper work on very low voltages, but its light weight and great flexibility give it a multitude of potential applications from computer screens to wearable cinematic suits.
With an e-paper screen sewn into a jacket, wearers could read e-mail or even watch the news on their sleeves while hot-footing it from one meeting to another.
