We've already reported on E Ink's surprising versatility, but during this year's CES the company revealed plans to move into the interior design space with its prototype Prism film. While it's early days yet, the tech could create dynamic walls that change color and display animated patterns.
E Ink has revealed precious few technical details regarding Prism, though it does use the company's bistable E Ink display technology found in devices like the Kindle – except it's in color and utilized in a very large film that measures roughly 30 x 30 cm (12 x 12 in).
"E Ink electronic ink technology is unique in that it can be used in many applications outside of eReaders and other display products," said Frank Ko, chairman of E Ink Holdings. "Prism will transform architecture products to make them come alive."
Once outfitted with Prism, an entire room (including ceiling and door, but not, it appears, the floor) could change color at the touch of a button, or display a simple animation. E Ink also says Prism-clad walls could be used as an interactive navigation aid to students attempting to find their way around a college campus, and another potential use cited by the company is doors which change color to notify passers-by when a conference room is occupied.
Though we've no energy-consumption figures available, E Ink claims that the Prism display requires a "very small" amount of power, and is fully programmable, with a print or paint-like reflective appearance. E Ink also says that Prism would be suitably rugged – an important consideration, as it would be required to withstand the various knocks and bumps caused by careless passersby.
An E Ink representative told Gizmag that it's looking to have a large-scale Prism installation working by the end of 2015, and the pricing is still to be decided. The rep also informed us that the target market for the E Ink Prism is strictly architecture and design, so it doesn't look like the technology will be rolling out to e-Readers any time soon.
Source: E Ink