E-paper: a piece of paper from the future
Japanese researchers have created a groundbreaking electronic paper (e-paper) that can be written on by hand on large surfaces, making it suitable for large screens such as electronic (white)boards.
Scientists at the University of Tokyo, led by Yusuke Komazaki, who published the relevant paper in the Journal of Applied Physics, used durable and inexpensive materials.
Electronic paper technology developed in the 1970s and has been evolving ever since. To this day, however, physical handwriting lags behind other advances that have been made in the meantime.
The new display consists of two-color spherical microparticles about 0.1 millimeters in diameter. One hemisphere of the particle is black and has a negative electrical charge, while the other is white and has a positive charge. The particles are "sandwiched" between two electrodes, with the appropriate "manipulation" of which the screen alternates between black and white.
The innovation lies in the fact that the Japanese researchers are the first to incorporate a magnetic field, so that, in addition to the negative electrical charge, the black side of the microparticles also contains magnetic nanoparticles. These are precisely what make writing on the screen possible, allowing the user to "draw" lines and images on the electronic 'paper'.
The paper screen is made of materials such as acrylic polymer, silicone elastomer, etc., which are relatively inexpensive and which, thanks to their simple structure, allow for easy production of large surfaces. Furthermore, in the future, as the researchers said, more colors will be added beyond black and white.
Japanese scientists believe that one application of the new technology will be the construction of cheap, lightweight and energy-efficient electronic (white) boards. Existing electronic boards (such as those used in modern classrooms) are equipped with large LCD screens or projectors, are expensive, heavy, energy-intensive and do not provide good visibility in bright lighting conditions. Thus, according to Komazaki, the new screen-boards will have great competitive advantages.
The researchers' ultimate goal is a world much less dependent on traditional paper. "One day, electronic paper that allows handwriting could completely replace real paper," the Japanese scientist estimated.
Source: skai.gr
