Fuji Xerox has just rolled out a prototype of a color electronic paper which is compliant with an optical writing system, boasting a high level of brightness, contrast, color strength as well as rewriting speed. This electronic paper is constructed using reflective color liquid crystals which were developed by using the selective reflection effect of cholesteric liquid crystals. There are a total of three layers in all – red, green and blue, and each of them are laminated to enable full-color display. Guess displays are getting more and more flexible these days, making the day when we can see flexible electronic banners flapping about in the wind at least one day closer.

All the display layers come with a PDLC (polymer-dispersed liquid crystal) structure that is capable of dispersing and retaining cholesteric liquid crystals in a matrix of gelatin. Every individual display layer is controlled by the optical writing system with organic photoreceptors. Here’s some more technical mumbo jumbo – “The integrating sphere reflectance (white) of the electronic paper is 27.4%, and the contrast ratio (the ratio of white color reflectance to black color reflectance) is 6.4. The display is A6 size (105 × 148mm). It is as thin as 0.4mm and can be bent. It weighs 10.4g. For the future, the company plans to develop an A4 size display.”

Word also has it that Fuji Xerox are working on a prototype A5 size optical writing device which is capable of writing on two A6 size electronic papers as well. This device will come with an LCD panel for laptop computers and green and red LED arrays. I must say, writing on electronic paper is a very enticing idea, but how many of us will be able to afford it? It will take a fair amount of time before the technology becomes affordable to the layman, and until then I guess classrooms all over the world won’t have to ditch the pen and paper combo – just yet. When the day arrives though, it will be a bittersweet one. No longer will kids have memories of tossing erasers at one another or even giving the excuse “the dog ate my homework” – you can’t really escape the new electronic horizon that is rolling towards us.

Source: Tech On