For the past few years, we've seen a bunch of e-readers and e-notes featuring E Ink's Kaleido 3 technology. But if you thought that this color ePaper was limited to handheld devices, think again. E Ink has now shown off 75-inch outdoor displays.
E Ink partnered with four companies for an ISE 2025 showcase of the Kaleido 3 Outdoor technology – Samsung, LG Information Display, DynaScan and Agile Display Solutions.
"As more countries look to reduce their carbon footprint and increase the sustainability of their communities, the benefits of an E Ink display, with its low power consumption and non-light pollution characteristics, can bring real change to indoor and outdoor Digital Out-of-Home signage," said Dr. F.Y. Gan, President of E Ink. "Our largest E Ink Kaleido display to date offers a compelling solution to address the need for a dynamic display that also provides environmental solutions."
That ePaper technology here is dubbed Kaleido Outdoor 3 and makes use of a RGB color filter array atop a monochrome E Ink film to produce 4,096 colors along with crisp, clear text. As the name suggests, this version has been designed for outdoor digital signage applications, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -15 °C to 65 °C ( 5 °F to 149 °F).
The panel runs 75 inches diagonally, and like other E Ink solutions, only requires power when the image is refreshed. E Ink reckons that could see signage at a bus stop, for example, run on solar panels – meaning that "it can replace energy-hungry digital signage and conform to the new restrictions." The ePaper technology is eye-friendly too, of course, and doesn't cause light pollution (unless some sort of back/front lighting is used). It's the first display tech to be certified by the International Dark-Sky Association.
Samsung's Color E-Paper flavor is being offered in sizes ranging from 13 inches (at 1,600 x 1,200 pixels) right up to 75 inches (for 5,120 x 2,880 pixels). Included with the display package are a 5,000-mAh battery, USB-C ports, 8 GB of onboard storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. A dedicated mobile app caters for remote management, while a special algorithm has the job of optimizing content visibility.
We've been unable to find any info on LG's version, but DynaScan has integrated the Kaleido Outdoor 3 technology into its DK Series Kiosks – which are also available in LED, LCD and lightbox options. "This innovative solution combines exceptional energy efficiency with stunning image quality, redefining outdoor digital signage with its unique size and performance," said the company.
Agile echoes the energy efficiency chops for its application, with the company pitching the ePaper technology as "a sustainable and city-friendly alternative to traditional outdoor displays that uses 1/10 the power of LCD or LED screens."
Source: E Ink