Sunlight visibility

E Ink announced that it has received the Dark Sky Certification from the International Dark Sky Association (IDA). E Ink is the first display technology to be certified through the IDA - which makes sense as E Ink displays do not emit light, and rely on ambient lighting.

E Ink explains that as cities continue to become smarter, and strive to provide timely information and communication to their citizens, the balance between delivering that information, environmental concerns and the aesthetic of a town becomes more important. Cities are striving to keep citizens safe and informed, while also considering their carbon footprint, and the electricity wasted on lighting that is overly bright, poorly targeted, and sometimes unnecessary.

US-based Solchroma develops a novel reflective inks and actuators based display technology, targeting the outdoor signage market (at least as a first step).

The company introduced its interesting technology at SID Displayweek 2021. The company's CEO, Dr. Roger Diebold was kind enough to explain the company's technology and business to E-Ink-Info.

Hello Roger, thank you for your time. Can you explain Solchroma's ePaper technology?

Solchroma creates reflective digital displays to change how we interact with the built environment and world around us. Solchroma’s technology is based on hydraulically forcing of colored liquid ink in and out of view. A backplane of actuators acts as an array of electrically-controlled pumps that push on nearby reservoirs of ink. Ink reservoirs are shielded from view by a white reflector, while simultaneously allowing passage of ink from the reservoirs behind the reflector to three sealed, viewable chambers stacked one atop the next on the viewable side.

Visionect and Radiola Land have installed E Ink signage at Auckland Airport's public transport terminal.

Each sign includes two 13.3" E Ink screens to provide Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) to commuters. The signs display important travel information, bus locations and marketing messages.

The city of Bonn in Germany is testing out PaperCast's e-paper bus stop displays. The project aims to replace paper timetables with dynamic digital displays that show live bus arrivals for customers at the bus stop.

Stadtwerke Bonn Bus und Bahn (SWBV), the Bonn municipal citizen service authority, is field testing several different display technologies during the trial, not just the E Ink displays from Papercast. The bus stop displays are solar powered and offer mobile connectivity

Six local authorities in the UK has awarded Vix Technology with a new project to deliver and maintain a real-time passenger information (RTPI) systems.

The five-year project will include a system that connects current and new displays - including new solar-powered E Ink displays, that will complement the existing LED and LCD displays.

Japan's Aizuwakamatsu city is launching a new pilot smart bus stop display project, developed by Papercast in collaboration with E Ink holdings.

The project is administered by Aizu Riding Car Development, a consortium that aims to improve service convenience and reduce ongoing costs by digitally connecting bus stops. The E Ink displays will show real-time passenger information, and these displays will be wireless and solar-powered.

CLEARink announced that it signed a comprehensive materials development agreement with Merck with an aim to bring CLEARink's reflective display technology to the market by the end of 2017.

CLEARink displays are based on a specially designed reflector film that can vary its brightness by modulating the total internal reflection of ambient light from film. The display uses a single electrically charged particle suspended in a liquid. The technology is called TIR (Total Internal Reflection) and the company believes that its manufacturing costs will be lower compared to other reflective display technologies. The displays offer full-color, low power (slightly above E Ink), outdoor readability, low cost and video support (low latency).

Switzerland-based BePooler developed an off-the-gird solar-powered E Ink parking signs which reserve free parking spots for commuters in Bepooler’s Park & Ride service. 

BePooler says that this service is the first of its kind in the world. BePooler is already in use by 15 companies - to generate over 300 shared trips per week. BePooler is supported by preferential parking spaces booked for those who join the service. The parking signs display the license plates of the vehicles participating in the program.

Etulipa, based in The Netherlands, is developing large-size low-resolution reflective monochrome electrowetting displays aimed towards outdoor signage - billboards applications. The company teamed up with Taiwan's URT - who has a license to make and sell display modules based on Etulipa's technology.

According to DisplayDaily, mass production of such billboard displays is expected in Q1 2017. It'll be great to finally see a commercial electrowetting display.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority installed new public transportation information boards at 11 bus stops across the city. The boards are based on color 31.2" E Ink displays with LED front light. The system design and integration was performed by Visionect.

This pilot project chose an ePaper solution because it is extremely energy efficient and runs on solar cells, completely independently from the electrical grid. If the project proves to be successful, this may lead to wider adoption on up to 200 bus stops in the next few years.