E-Paper & E-Ink; what are they and what do they do?

(http://www.gizmowatch.com/images/e-paper1_48.jpg) & (http://www.alerte-environnement.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/e-paper.jpg)

Under its most basic definition electronic paper (E-Paper) is a “portable, reusable storage and display medium that looks like paper but can be repeatedly written on (refreshed) - by electronic means.” (http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/

0,,sid40_gci535038,00.html) It is ‘written’ on with electronic ink (E-Ink) and mimics the look and feel of actual paper and ink. However, E-Paper displays have several benefits over the display technology currently on the market including; low power usage, flexibility and readability.

Expanding on the aforementioned definition, E-Paper can be thought of as “a display [medium] that possesses a paper-like high contrast appearance, ultra-low power consumption, and a thin, light form.” (http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/

0,,sid40_gci535038,00.html) Not only can it be read under any lighting conditions (including direct sunlight) but, the image appears the same from any angle (unlike images on liquid crystal display screens). The image also withstands distortion when touched and modern day versions of E-Paper allow it to be bent, like real paper, without any consequences.

This innovative technology uses very little power to easily update content via WiFi and USB connections and no power at all to maintain the text or image it is displaying. An initial charge “creates the display, which then remains fixed until another charge is applied to change it.” (http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/sDefinition/

0,,sid40_gci535038,00.html)

Today, there are two companies developing electronic ink: E-Ink Corporation and Xerox. The basic components used by both companies are the same and consist of microcapsules, an oily substance (or ink) which fills the microcapsules and pigmented balls with a negative charge which float inside the substance.

Xerox was the first to work on electronic paper (called Gyricon) when an employee, physicist Nick Sheridon, invented it in the 1970s. His version, the basis for modern day Xerox’s developments, was comprised of millions of tiny polyethylene spheres which had a negatively charged, black colored half and a positively charged, white colored half. The spheres were placed in a “transparent silicone sheet, with each sphere suspended in a bubble of oil so that they [could] rotate freely.” (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/e-ink1.htm)

An electric field would then be used to rotate the spheres. A positive charge would cause the spheres’ black side to be near the surface and the white half to be hidden thus, the viewer would see black. A negative charge would have the opposite effect. The spheres would be rotated in such a manner as to achieve the desired text or image. The one downside was that the rigid and complex circuitry which was used resulted in a rigid paper.

It wasn’t until the 1990s when Joseph Jacobson, co-founder of E-Ink Corporation, began working on perfecting E-Ink (and E-Paper) that he developed microcapsules which allowed the display to be used on flexible plastic sheets.

The microcapsules, which are 100 microns wide (that means 100,000 microcapsules can fit on a square inch of paper), hold smaller pigmented chips. E-Ink Corporation is currently using white chips inside microcapsules and blue ink, in which the microcapsules float. The company’s method then applies an electrical charge to the microcapsules and the chips either rise to the top (and the viewer sees white) or they’re pulled to the bottom (and the viewer sees blue; the color of the ink). Patterns of white and dark are used to create text and images.

In another version each microcapsule contains positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles which are suspended in a clear fluid. A positive charge attracts black particles to the surface and repels white ones to the bottom of the sphere thus, the viewer sees black. A negative charge has an opposite effect and the viewer sees white.
The electronic ink is then “printed onto a sheet of plastic film that is laminated to a layer of circuitry [which] forms a pattern of pixels that can then be controlled by a display driver.” (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/e-ink1.htm) The film can be used as the optical component in the making of an E-Paper display but can also turn almost any surface into a display.

Electronic ink can be printed onto any surface including walls, billboards, product labels and T-shirts and has many benefits. However, achieving an e-paper which is as thin as actual paper whilst, having wiring to create an electrical charge has proven tricky. E-Ink’s solution has been to print tiny plastic transistors onto a page so they can provide the needed charge for the E-Ink to work.

A summary of the characteristics of E-Paper and E-Ink(http://www.eink.com/technology/index.html)

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_paper
(http://www.eink.com/technology/flexible.html)
(http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/e-ink.htm)
(http://www.bookrags.com/research/electronic-digital-paper-e-paper-e--wcs/)

What will E-Paper & E-Ink (potentially) replace?

This emerging Information Technology (IT) has the potential to revolutionalize, and improve, several aspects of our day-to-day lives. Electronic paper displays and electronic ink have the potential to replace all products which have paper as their basis. However, they also have the potential to ameliorate handheld electronic devices such as cell phones. Looking at the broader impact of this IT it becomes evident that “Electronic ink will permit most any surface (clothing, buildings and all household objects) to become a display, bringing information out of the confines of traditional devices and into the world around us.” (http://www.eink.com/technology/flexible.html)

Image: E-Paper applied to a watch; One of the endless possibilities!

(http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.techpin.com /wp-content/chocolate-agency-e-paper-concept-cool-gadgets-2.jpg)

1. Books: This technology would be used to provide readers the look and feel of reading an actual book but would enhance their experience by allowing them to store many works on a small, portable device (the E-Paper display.) Unlike the E-books which are currently available they would not strain the eyes with an excessive emission of light. School textbooks could also become electronic E-Papers.

2. Newspapers: These could be downloaded daily, and easily, onto the E-Paper display through a WiFi connection thus, eliminating the need for hard copies of newspapers. France and The Netherlands have already distributed electronic versions of their daily newspapers by using the iRex iLiad reader which makes use of E-Ink to display, books, newspapers and other digital documents. The newspaper is downloaded onto the iLiad using WiFi technology every day and takes only 20 seconds to download. The edition is identical to that found on newsstands.

Image: Enjoying an E-Paper newspaper on the train

(http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/2292-ePaper.jpg)

3. Printers: The use of E-paper will potentially lead to the extinction of printers because the E-paper mimics real papers so closely. The high quality of readability does not cause the same strain on eyes as bright computer screens so people will feel as if they are reading a real printed version (even if it is on their E-Paper displays!)

4. Handheld Devices: The screens on items such as cell phones and BlackBerries could use the E-Paper technology in order to allow users to view them in all lighting conditions and save power. The Motorola F3 phone is currently using this technology.

5. Displays embedded in smart cards: A flexible display card would allow cardholders to “generate a one-time password to reduce online banking and transaction fraud.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_paper)

6. Billboards, Price Tags, Transit Advertising, Operating Manuals and Restaurant Menus: All these items could benefit from E-Paper versions because of how often they require edits and change. This way they could be easily, and cheaply, updated through a wireless network.

7. Picture Frames/Art: Digital photo frames could be upgraded to E-Paper versions which would use less power than the digital frames available on the market today and would be able to run for months on the batteries provided. (Batteries can be changed when needed.) The display would be easily changed by connecting the frame to a USB memory stick and transferring the image onto the E-Paper thus, providing changeable art.

Image: A lovely E-Paper work of art!

(http://www.epaperart.com/)

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_paper
http://www.ebookreaders.nl/nrc_heeft_e-paper_primeur?language_code=en
http://www.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/1638-epaper.jpg

Advantages of E-Paper & E-Ink in Various Industries

The advantages of E-Paper & E-Ink can be beneficial to a variety of organizations across all industries. These advantages demonstrate many of the reasons why this information technology may soon be found everywhere you look!


All Industries:

• Higher Productivity: No matter what field an organization is in, if they make use of books, codes of conduct, operational manuals etc. this technology will benefit the organization. It will reduce clutter and provide the worker with all the information they need in one place so they never run the risk of misplacing a book or worse, throwing out a vital piece of information. This IT provides a work space that promotes higher productivity through streamlining processes (time is never wasted on searching for necessary materials). Also, it reduces strain on eyes because it allows font sizes to be increased to a comfortable size for the reader. This too makes for a more productive worker because they are experiencing better health. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it allows the company to provide workers with up to date information, manuals and codes without consuming too much time or money. With one click of a button all employees have the newest version of the required document at their fingertips.

• Portability: If a company has employees who are always on the go (whether around town or traveling on trips overseas) and physically out of the office the E-Paper is the perfect solution for them to take all of the materials they need with them in a small and light package. The chance of having forgotten information back at the office is eliminated!

• Environment: All organizations strive to be environmentally responsible in today’s market because consumers have begun to opt for companies that are less harmful to our planet. The strain on forests and the overall environment caused by large consumption of paper would be minimized.

• Power efficiency: E-Ink Corporation has found that the E-Paper displays uses 1/1000th of the power that an LCD screen uses. That saves a lot of energy when an entire company is concerned and thus, money.

Magazine / Newspapers:

• This technology has the potential to revive the magazine and newspaper industries and bring them increased profits. The advent of the internet took readers, and consequently advertisers, away from print media. With E-paper advertisers would likely return seeing as they would have the ability to target specific audiences thus, increasing their sales. The magazines and newspapers would also experience lower costs because no production and distribution so those costs would be eliminated completely. Also, building and administration expenses would decrease as well as the staff size and thus, the wages payable. “E Ink's Mr. Wilcox said the publishing industry spends $30 billion U.S. annually in order to release newspapers, magazines, books and other publications. Using e-paper methods, the industry could save as much as $15 billion U.S. every year.” (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=277ee375-35df-43e1-80b5-017133b77b2c)

Army:

• An organization in its own right, the U.S. Army granted $43.7 million to Arizona State University in February 2004 so they could develop a portable information screen for soldiers to use on the battlefield. In this case the technology could save the lives of ‘employees.’

Small Companies:

• Niche media could “grow their markets exponentially, with new editorial methods and distribution mechanisms never before possible.” (http://hotspring.wordpress.com/tag/e-paper/) E-Paper would grant even the smallest of companies to effectively reach large amounts of consumers at low cost.

References:

(http://www.eink.com/technology/flexible.html)
http://www.editorsweblog.org/2007/12/eink_may_prove_profitable_in_t.php
(http://hotspring.wordpress.com/tag/e-paper/)
(http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-115725.html)
(http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=277ee375-35df-43e1-80b5-017133b77b2c)

Disadvantages of E-Paper & E-Ink in Various Industries

The disadvantages of E-Paper & E-Ink may be few but they can be costly to all organizations, in all industries, who try to benefit from this new information technology.

All Industries:

• Transition: It will take time and a possible period of decreased performance as staff becomes familiar with the new technology, its uses and, more importantly, its full potential. “The representation of information on a large number of physical pages, which may be physically turned and written on, constitutes a highly preferred means of information interaction,” (http://hotspring.wordpress.com/tag/e-paper/) therefore changing habits may prove difficult. Initially, workers may be skeptical and the proper training, time and investment will be needed if the transformation is to be worthwhile.

• Event Horizon: E-paper has an event horizon after which “information may be fundamentally changed and questions of accessibility, credibility and longevity (conservation of format and re-accessibility), become central to the question of informational freedoms.” (http://hotspring.wordpress.com/tag/e-paper/) This could lead to major customer dissatisfaction and loss of confidence in the brand if the information is tampered with and the wrong information is simultaneously exposed to the large amounts of people who come in contact with the E-Paper.

Newspapers and Books:

• Cost: The technology is still extremely pricy. According to David Granger, editor-in-chief of Esquire (the magazine which launched and E-Paper cover in August), "the technology is so expensive and I think that is one of the barriers we have to overcome over the next couple years." (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=277ee375-35df-43e1-80b5-017133b77b2c) The only reason Esquire was able to sell the magazine for a relatively cheap price ($7) was because of a large advertisement purchased by Ford Motor Company (which cannot be relied on for every issue).

• Filtering: If certain privacy mechanisms are not put into action consumers will not have “as much access, on a permanent and private basis, to information as with the standard purchase of a book,” and the “lack of privacy in the media sphere, by contrast, would have a chilling effect on what sorts of content some major media outlets would be willing to provide.” (http://hotspring.wordpress.com/tag/e-paper) The integrity of the newspapers and book could be compromised.

References:

(http://hotspring.wordpress.com/tag/e-paper/)
(http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=277ee375-35df-43e1-80b5-017133b77b2c)
(http://news.zdnet.com/21000-9595_22-115725.html)