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Image via University of CincinnatiScientists at University of Cincinnati have figured out how to use a plain old sheet of paper as a surface for electrowetting, the technology behind e-paper such as used in e-readers and similar devices. It sounds like a dream come true because, as the researchers point out, it reduces device complexity and cost. However, it could be a huge concern since it may very well result in "disposable" one-time-use electronics.
University of Cincinnati announced that electrical engineering professor Andrew Steckl and UC doctoral student Duk Young Kim demonstrated that paper could be used as a flexible host material for an electrowetting device. Simply put, EW is technology where colored droplets in a display are manipulated by an electric field to create images. Companies have been working hard to improve the technology for use in low-power reading devices and displays. Normally, EW is placed over glass, but the new breakthrough allows it to be placed over paper.
"One of the main goals of e-paper is to replicate the look and feel of actual ink on paper," the researchers stated in the ACS article. "We have, therefore, investigated the use of paper as the perfect substrate for EW devices to accomplish e-paper on paper."
The researchers say the result is essentially the same, which means flexible readers that are like a single sheet of paper holding an entire book or movie.
"Nothing looks better than paper for reading," said Steckl, an Ohio Eminent Scholar. "We hope to have something that would actually look like paper but behave like a computer monitor in terms of its ability to store information. We would have something that is very cheap, very fast, full-color and at the end of the day or the end of the week, you could pitch it into the trash."
However, for those with environmental concerns, there is a worrying result:
"In general, this is an elegant method for reducing device complexity and cost, resulting in one-time-use devices that can be totally disposed after use," the researchers pointed out.
This leads to some major questions -- what is the environmental impact of disposing of paper sporting EW technology? Exactly how would it be disposed of? Can it be recycled? What happens if people toss it in the trash? The list can go on...
On top of all that, there is a problem with the concept of disposability in the first place -- a culture of disposable goods is what's got us into this landfill-up-to-our-ears-and-plastic-in-our-bellies situation in the first place.
It might appear to be a breakthrough, but unless used responsibly, this is not a positive advancement at all.
The researchers state that this technology is 3 to 5 years away from being marketable. We guess it's quite a bit farther away than that, so there are years to still address questions like these.
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More on e-Paper
e-Paper Getting More Paper-like with New Breakthrough
Soaring e-Paper Market Means It's Time to be Careful
E-ink Reveals Flexible, Extra-Tough e-Paper Display
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