In late 2022, BMW revealed its list of 200 extraordinary, groundbreaking inventions, and iX Flow – the color-changing car – was one of them. Featuring the E INK technology, the BMW iX Flow car allows drivers to change the vehicle’s appearance as per their aesthetic preferences and even functional requirements. Surprising, no?
Recently, kitchen brand Kohler has launched smart toilet NUMI 2.0, which is made of E Ink Prism electronic paper, and can change color dynamically, creating unique spaces at homes. One of the latest innovations of E INK is Xiaomi’s newly released robotic dog, which wears E Ink prism color-changing skin.
And have you heard about color-changing Cream Guitars? These guitars also use the same Prism 3 color-changing e-paper display that’s used in the BMW iX Flow SUV. Cream guitars will be able to change their style, something that should add extraordinary to musical concerts and shows.
Before these latest innovations, DNP unveiled a futuristic ‘living wall’ and dress with patches that could change their color from black to white.
Within a few years, the color-changing e-paper by E INK has shown different imaginative possibilities it brings to product innovation. Although color e-paper has been around for more than a decade, the earliest versions could only display a limited number of solid colors.
They would be mostly used for static signage and images. E Ink’s latest developments of its color e-paper expand its usability beyond signages to color-changing cars and toilets to e-readers and e-notes. Their color performance and refresh rate have improved significantly.
Johnson Lee, CEO of E Ink, said:
Color-changing e-paper can show the unique features of the product. E INK has received positive feedback from the market.
Lee added that:
There had been a shortage of electronic paper in 2021 and 2022, so the expansion of production is carried out under the premise of not wanting to cause customers to go out of stock. After the gradual expansion of production capacity in 2023, there will be no shortage of goods for customers, and it is expected that this will positively impact future development.
The color-changing e-paper products discussed above are all conceptual products. According to E Ink, mass production is challenging due to the need for customization for customers. So, it’ll create an ecosystem for the purpose, and the company expects that more diverse industries will leverage the color-changing e-paper technology to develop new innovative products.
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.
