The world’s first electronic paper display that is made of plastic has entered production, LG announced paving the way for the next generation of e-books readers that could be bent to some extent — 40 degrees to be precise from the center of the display. What this means in real life scenarios is that users will be able to bend their e-readers as they would usually do when reading a magazine or newspaper. However, unlike newspapers, the real advantage with e-readers made of the LG produced electronic papers is that users will also be able to catch up with the e-mails or other such tasks while reading.
The new e-Paper by LG features a inch XGA display with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and relies on e-ink to render monochrome display of texts and images. However, the biggest USP of the EPD is its ultra thin construction. This has been achieved with the use of plastic that is as thin as a display guard used on cellphones. This has resulted in the EPD being just 0.7mm, just about a third from similar EPD that are made of glass. The use of plastic has also made the LG produced EPD weigh just 14 gms. This in turn has added to the durability of the display, something brought forth in repeated drop tests performed by LG. The e-papers were dropped from a height of about 1.5 meters though the displays not only survived each time but also very devoid of any scratches. Even hitting the displays with a small urethane hammer failed to leave a mark on the e-paper displays.
“With the world’s first plastic EPD, LG Display has once again proven its reputation for leadership and innovation with a product we believe will help greatly popularize the E-Book market,” said Mr. Sang Duck Yeo, Head of Operations for LG Display’s Mobile/OLED division. “Based on our success in mass-producing plastic EPD, we are excited as we look toward applying concepts from this experience to future developments like plastic OLED and flexible displays.”
LG has also come up with a unique method of manufacturing the e-paper displays, the same technique that is usually used to manufacture LCD screen with temperature maintained at 350 degrees. For this, LG had to develop the plastic material that could withstand the production process in a high temperature environment.
Coming to the actual products based on the e-papers, LG stated the displays would reach ODM in China soon so that the first devices based on the e-paper expected to reach markets by early next month itself. However, its the European market that would be the first to have the e-paper and LG hasn’t stated which other countries or regions come next.
via hitech24
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
