Taiwan unveils eco-friendly rewritable 'paper'
A group of Taiwan scientists have developed an environmentally friendly form of rewritable electronic paper that works without electricity, similar to e-books like the ones shown but that does not need to be back-lit.
A group of Taiwan scientists have developed an environmentally friendly form of rewritable electronic paper that works without electricity.
Unlike the e-book technology now available on the market, the rewritable e-paper called "i2R e-paper" does not need to be back lit and therefore does not consume electricity, according to the island's top industrial research unit Industrial Technology Research Institute.
"It only requires heat to store or transmit images onto the flexible display," said Frank Hsiu, a senior official at the Institute's Display Technology Centre based in the northern Hsinchu city.
He said writing on the paper can be erased by inserting it into a thermal writing device similar to what is used in fax machines.
The technology can be used in products such as digital books, electronic bulletin boards and large-sized digital bulletin boards, the institute said.
"At the moment, research results at the laboratory showed that you can write on such paper for up to 260 times," Hsiu said.
"You can imagine how much paper and how many trees can be saved if this product is widely used in the world."
The institute has transferred the technology to a Taiwan company, and expects the product to hit the market in a year or two.
(c) 2011 AFP
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Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
200-something uses vs infinite uses...
Unless this "paper" is literally as cheap as dirt, it wouldn't be worth it compared to conventional media...
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
2) I just watched a Reuters video about this, and noted that the 'paper' seems to lacks image contrast and was not printable at the edges. I guess they intend to target specific applications only.
3) How 'eco' is it? - Not every sheet is going to be used 200 times in the real world - chances are much will be thrown away early regardless of the fact it could be used again. How many times must it be used before it has a net positive effect over normal recycled paper? Does it decompose if discarded? Can it be recycled when 200 uses are done? What about all the new thermal printers to be manufactured and then sitting around in offices, in standby mode, alongside their traditional paper counterparts?!
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
There are also pen-writable surfaces that can easily be wiped clean.
This e-paper would only be interesting if it could be used for data entry. That doesn't seem to be the case.
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (2)
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 1 / 5 (2)
Your vagina?
Aug 08, 2011
Rank: 5 / 5 (1)
Well normally I'd say yes, but it's currently unplugged and in a box under the couch.
So....noe
Aug 09, 2011
Rank: not rated yet
Something between the two already exists for sale; Google for 'Boogie Board Writing Tablet'.
Aug 15, 2011
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That is one of the few things that might be accurate. Someone said. Oh I suppose the device can be erased by heat. But EVERY claim about the use of electricity was false.
How the hell were there FOUR votes that this was a good article? The first sentence is a lie and then it goes downhill.
Was the ebook backlit. NO.
Do they need backlit. Not the version shown.
IDIOCY.
Ethelred