Samsung's New Carbon Nanotube Color E-Paper 87
Iddo Genuth writes to tell us that Samsung and Unidym have shown the world's first carbon nanotube-based color e-paper. Interestingly, the new film is electrically conductive while remaining almost completely translucent and only 50 nanometers thick. "The company also mentions that the EPD [electrophoretic displays] has important advantages over conventional flat panel displays. EPDs have very low power consumption and bright light readability, which means that even under bright lights or sunlight, the user would be able to view the display clearly. Furthermore, since the device uses the thin CNT films, applications can include e-paper and displays with thin, flexible substrates. Power consumption is lowered due to the EPD's ability to reflect light and therefore able to preserve text or images on the display without frequently refreshing."
Re:Backlight (Score:5, Informative)
By the light of the moon... (Score:3, Informative)
removes the colors from our sight.
Red is gray, and yellow white.
But we decide which is right.
And which is an illusion?
The Moody Blues, Nights in White Satin
Re:completely translucent (Score:3, Informative)
Only if you never want to see where you're going and don't want to look outside again.
The article says the display is translucent - not transparent. ie, it lets some light through, but you can't see through it - like greaseproof paper, or frosted glass. Pretty useless for making a HUD.
Re:completely translucent (Score:3, Informative)
The only problem with using ePaper for a HUD is that you will not get the correct focal length. Normally, HUDs have a complex array of optics to move the image's focal point beyond the front of the car when seen by the the driver.
Simply applying ePaper to the glass would set the focal point to the windsheld, which is way too close for usability.
Also, there is the fact that they would also need some form of lighting during the night as ePaper isn't a light source by itself.
Bill
Huh? (Score:3, Informative)
What the hell does "almost completely translucent" mean? Does "completely translucent" = transparent?
Isn't 'translucent' merely a descriptor for a state somewhere between transparent and opaque?
Re:Carbon Nanotubes (Score:3, Informative)
Uh, carbon nanotubes are used in quite a few common items, like electronics, golf clubs, tennis rackets and mountain bike handlebars. [wikipedia.org]
What we can't do very easily is manufacture strong materials composed of aligned nanotubes (aka space elevator unobtanium).