Bridgestone color electronic paper

Over here at Coolest Gadgets, we’re extremely interested to see how technology is able to aid our everyday lives in various ways, where such aid could also become a point of contention when it comes to us humans getting lazier and lazier. After all, who could deny that the introduction of escalators, elevators and travellators at shopping malls and airports have greatly reduced our need to walk? What about Segways and the remote control which further reduce our need for physical activity? Well, one thing’s for sure, not all new technology turns us humans into fat, degenerate slobs who will eventually need a robot to take care of our personal needs. Bridgestone Corp. has come up with a color electronic paper (e-paper) device that also boasts pen input support. This device will bring together the “QR-LPD,” the company’s e-paper device using its proprietary electronic powder and granular material, with Wacom Co Ltd’s electromagnetic induction type pen input tablet and a color filter.

What’s so special about this, you ask? Well, for starters, Bridgestone has accelerated the screen refresh speed of the e-paper device to enable pen input,taking all of 0.8 seconds to refresh the display where its previous efforts of A4-sized e-paper device required around 10 to 15 seconds. That’s a whole world of improvement no matter how you look at it, and it will definitely bode well for new devices that require a fast refresh rate - something digital artists would love to enjoy.

Bridgestone has so far kept mum on further details of this technology, but it has quickened the refresh speed primarily by improving drive technologies. This will greatly enhance the device’s ability to follow the pen input and enabled it to display input texts and graphics smoothly, making it easy on your eyes in the process. The e-paper device will be powered by a passive matrix panel. No idea on when it will enter full commercial production though.

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