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Electrowetting Promises Power-Sipping, Daylight Readable Color Displays

Posted by timothy on from the micturation-punishment dept.

Dutch researchers are working on a new application of an old technology that could mean bright color displays that draw much less power than conventional LCDs, according to the BBC. In this application, an instance of a technique known as electrowetting, droplets of colored oil in suspension are the basis for the display's colors; each pixel's color is determined by moving the colored oils with electrical current. A prototype reader from Dutch firm Liquivista is shown in the accompanying video; color magazines with 50-60hz refresh time using this display technology are at least a few years out, though. Significantly, these screens are daylight readable, which makes me wonder how they compare to Pixel-Qi style screens in power draw, brightness, and maximum density.

46 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. 1st by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    From TFA: Can be build using existing LCD production setups - that's a pretty huge advantage; hope this isn't vapor.

    1. Re:1st by euyis · · Score: 1

      Will it also have the dead pixels, like LCDs?

    2. Re:1st by kimvette · · Score: 2, Informative

      How common are dead pixels anyway? I see hot and dead pixels on only the cheapest lowest-end displays. Bad inverters and bad ribbon PCBs are far more common.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    3. Re:1st by svirre · · Score: 1

      Driver cells may still be broken so yeah.

    4. Re:1st by euyis · · Score: 1

      5 dead pixels on my 1-yr old HP laptop...

    5. Re:1st by DesertNomad · · Score: 2, Informative

      On any standard XGA and higher-res LCD display, there's a fair chance that at least one pixel has a problem of some sort. Each OEM has their own QA guidelines which they really don't want to share unless you push. This site http://www.screentekinc.com/lcd-quality-standards.shtml gives some idea of the thresholds.

    6. Re:1st by JohnBailey · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not on sale yet, but there is a working prototype. So perhaps like flexible e-ink and OLED monitors.. Pre production isn't really vapour ware. Saw it on demonstrated on Click yesterday. The colour isn't as bright as normal LCD and there is a bit of ghosting, but it is supposed to give significantly lower power consumption even with a back light, so the power saving alone will be an advantage for long life products. Not just e-book readers. The all day laptop is edging ever closer.

      --
      It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.
    7. Re:1st by Barryke · · Score: 1

      AC:

      From TFA: Can be build using existing LCD production setups - that's a pretty huge advantage; hope this isn't vapor

      For starters, i can assure you the city Eindhoven in the Netherlands really exists.

      --
      Hivemind harvest in progress..
  2. Interesting technnology, +1 for open source by symbolic · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Notice the movie they use for the demo - Blender Foundation's Big Buck Bunny.

    1. Re:Interesting technnology, +1 for open source by nurb432 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Better then being sued by sony for using a music video :)

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      ---- Booth was a patriot ----
    2. Re:Interesting technnology, +1 for open source by __aasqbs9791 · · Score: 1

      Ton Roosendaal being Dutch probably made that an easier choice for the researchers, I imagine.

    3. Re:Interesting technnology, +1 for open source by JohnBailey · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I've seen it in quite a few places recently. It's not a random choice. It's royalty free clip available in just about any format or resolution. So basically, do what you like so long as you don't claim it as your own work. And as it isn't advertising anything, it can be used by the BBC too. Even test clips can have some kind of copyright attached, and can bite you in the bum when you are demoing something on TV or in public. BBB is 100% safe to use for tech demos without paying a fee, or asking specific permission.

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      It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it.
  3. basement dwellers by hort_wort · · Score: 2, Funny

    Time to invest in those solar tubes to get the sunlight down into the basement for us then.

  4. Daylight readable? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Who cares. Just work at night and sleep during daylight. Problem solved.

  5. The Netherlands, how appropriate by Arancaytar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Flemish artist Jan van Eyck is often (exaggeratedly) credited with "inventing" oil paint. He did greatly pioneer its use in the fifteenth century.

    1. Re:The Netherlands, how appropriate by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1

      How is this off-topic, mods? I find it slightly amusing (and helluva interesting) as well.

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      Ezekiel 23:20
    2. Re:The Netherlands, how appropriate by IrquiM · · Score: 1

      I find you finding it offtopic and irrelevant offensive!

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      This is blinging
  6. Cool by nurb432 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If its low power and cheaper then LCD or E-ink, lets hope it continues. Might even be more earth friendly.

    And hey, i see big buck bunny :)

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    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  7. Where's the last breakthrough? by russotto · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Last time I heard about such a technology, it was organic LEDs. They're finally available after many years, but still obscenely expensive. Why should I believe in this next breakthrough? I'm not holding my breath for this one.

    1. Re:Where's the last breakthrough? by John+Hasler · · Score: 2, Informative

      > I'm not holding my breath for this one.

      Sorry to hear that. We were looking forward to seeing you turn blue again.

      --
      Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
    2. Re:Where's the last breakthrough? by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

      What do you mean? An African or European blue?

    3. Re:Where's the last breakthrough? by mark-t · · Score: 1

      OLED's still end up fighting for contrast with ambient illumination, and would likely get washed out completely when reading outside in daylight while waiting for a bus, for example.

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      File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    4. Re:Where's the last breakthrough? by FlyingBishop · · Score: 1

      LCD costs and energy use have been consistently coming down for years now. At some point this sort of stuff is an inevitability if the trends continue.

  8. display technologies by svirre · · Score: 4, Interesting

    IEEE spectrum had a good article in march on display technologies:
    http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/hardware/the-electronic-display-of-the-future/0

  9. Electro-wetting? by Compaqt · · Score: 2, Funny

    Killer name.

    Sounds like a combination of Cyberpunk and Depends

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    I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
    1. Re:Electro-wetting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      If that's the case, definitely something for iPad 2.0

  10. Eindhoven == Philips by MonoSynth · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The guy in the video mentioned that the firm is based in Eindhoven, where Philips' headquarters are located. After some googling I found out that Liquivista is indeed a spinoff of this company and therefore not a 'real' startup.

    1. Re:Eindhoven == Philips by Bender_ · · Score: 2, Informative

      Aren't start-ups almost always spinoffs of a university or research institute? Liquavista is a spin-off of what used to be Philips Research (Natlab), one of last strongholds of real industrial research in Europe. It used to be a pretty amazing place, maybe the closest of what Europe had to the Bell Labs. Unfortunately it was messed up pretty badly during the last decade due to various splits, carve outs and a general move away from industry backed research.

    2. Re:Eindhoven == Philips by MonoSynth · · Score: 1

      Yes, I know. But Eindhoven = light city = Philips. And a stupid soccer team. It's culture!

    3. Re:Eindhoven == Philips by RogerWilco · · Score: 1

      I had an intern-ship at Philips Natlab in 1997, working on electrowetting for displays in x-ray in their micromechanics department. We worked closely together with the guys investigating organic semiconductors for display technology. I worked on organic semiconductors during my Master Thesis at the University of Groningen.

      My point is that from what I've seen, these things take a long time to get anywhere near market ready even if you have a working prototype. I hope they succeed.

      I also think it's typical of Philips Natlab, that they started their own company and that this is not a new Philips venture. Philips wouldn't know what to do with a real innovation the company is to rigid. They only see the Natlab as a source of Patents to fill their war chest for patent negotiations.
      I found it an environment that wasn't very conductive to real product innovation. I know one specific example of a guy who went to the walkman department in early 1996 to pitch them the idea of an mp3 player, a few months before the player by Audio Highway that never even made it to the Netherlands. He was laughed at, the idea was beyond silly. If they had wanted they could maybe not have been the first to have one in the market, but they could certainly have beaten Creative's Rio to market, and might have been a big player today. The first time I heard of mp3 was from this guy in January 1997, and it was immediately clear to me that his idea was brilliant.

      I wouldn't be surprised that some of those I worked with can now be found at Liquivista, looking over their "Leadership Team" page, I know two of the guys on that page, Mick Evans and Johan Feenstra, although they were not the people I closely worked with.

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      RogerWilco the Adventurous Janitor
  11. Re:Easy by beelsebob · · Score: 1

    Why? Are the british better at producing displays than the americans?

  12. Electrowetting by Anti_Climax · · Score: 2, Insightful

    After "Hot Electron Injection", Electrowetting has to be one of the sexiest technology terms I've heard in recent years...

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    Even people that believe in pre-destiny look both ways before crossing the street.
    1. Re:Electrowetting by JackSpratts · · Score: 1

      ...yep. sounds like the latest thing in love dolls.

    2. Re:Electrowetting by rockNme2349 · · Score: 1

      Is it black with white pixels, or white with black pixels?

      Baby it don't matter, they're all beautiful on the inside.

      --
      Sewage Treatment Facilities - "Our duty is clear."
  13. eInk? by Miros · · Score: 1

    Isn't this very similar to the way eInk works?

    1. Re:eInk? by KibibyteBrain · · Score: 1

      No.

  14. flicker-free? by nanamin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Would this be flicker-free? The article talks about refresh rates, but I'm not quite sure what this means in this context.

    I have neurological problems and will lose consciousness if I look at any sort of flickering display, including CRTs. For some reason, plasma screen TVs also affect me (despite not "flickering" per se), and currently the only type of display I seem to be able to safely look at are regular LCD TVs/flatscreen monitors, with LED-lit screens giving me the least amount of trouble.

    Even for people without serious, disabling problems like mine, displays that have (even imperceptible amounts of) flickering can cause various headaches, eyestrain, etc during prolong use.

    My job involves web development and I'm a bit worried that some day the only display technologies available will be ones I can't safely look at.

    1. Re:flicker-free? by Barryke · · Score: 1

      Must be very frustrating. What is your disability called?

      I imagine you'd like some motion-blur glasses.. how do you cope with the streets and airports lined with displays?

      --
      Hivemind harvest in progress..
    2. Re:flicker-free? by nanamin · · Score: 1

      It is rather frustrating. I can't be under any sort of fluorecent lighting either, even the compact fluorescent bulbs which supposedly flicker too fast to cause any problems. This basically keeps me from going out most places.

      Neurologist is unsure at the moment, but his initial guesses, based on symptoms, are photosensitive temporal lobe epilepsy or basilar type migraine. MRI and EEG both showed nothing, but that's true for a relatively large percentage of people who have problems. Neurology has come a long way, but still has a long way to go.

    3. Re:flicker-free? by cheros · · Score: 1

      Maybe a weird question, but have you tried keeping a DC powered bulb or LED in your line of sight? This idea was triggered by something I once had to do years ago in analogue audio to keep a signal clean (I honestly have no idea what it was - this is from very long ago).

      The idea is to enable you to still pick up that other information, but dominate the "signal" (or image, in your case) by data that is acceptable. With HiBri LEDs you can pretty much blind yourself, so maybe there's a point between black and "blinded" where you pick up enough "regular" environment data to at least allow you to move around, but get so much LED light with it that it keeps your condition at bay.

      I hope you'll find a solution.

      --
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    4. Re:flicker-free? by kimvette · · Score: 1

      Do higher-end CFLs do the same thing to you? They supposedly increase the AC frequency to 10kHz or so to eliminate flicker. I am prone to migraines myself and generally hate flourescent lighting but have used CFLs for about five years without any problem.

      --
      The Christian Right is Neither (Christian nor right). See: Matthew 23, Matthew 25, Ezekiel 16:48-50
    5. Re:flicker-free? by asaz989 · · Score: 1

      Yes, exactly; when people say that these devices, and e-ink displays, are "easy on the eyes", flicker-free is what they're talking about. That's because these devices work by moving (by electrical means) little bits of matter in changed pixels for every refresh cycle - black or white beads for e-ink, little bits of colored oil for these displays. So when the picture stays the same, there's no off-and-on cycling, but instead the colored material just stays put. These devices sound perfect for your problem - flicker-free like e-ink, but with a fast enough refresh rate for use as a computer monitor.

  15. My /. UID is prime. by hallux.sinister · · Score: 1

    How many accounts did you have to set-up to achieve that? :) Or was it a happy accident? (P.S. My /. UID is prime too. Total accident.)

    1. Re:My /. UID is prime. by Arancaytar · · Score: 1

      It was random chance for me, too. :P

  16. Re:Easy by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 1

    Of course - any display designed specifically with u in mind is bound to be better.

  17. Re:Easy by slartibartfastatp · · Score: 1

    http://www.instantrimshot.com/

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