E Ink displays are not only kinder to your eyes, they also offer great battery life due to their low power consumption. But Digital View's new display has no battery at all, getting all the juice it needs from an upper Wi-Charge wireless power module.
Before all the digital bookworms get too excited, this development will have limited appeal for e-reader devices – as the screens won’t refresh and pages won’t turn when out of power range. But it could be a good call for billboards in retail stores, information kiosks in museums or art galleries, timetables in transport hubs or dynamic announcements in meeting rooms.
Built-in Wi-Fi can receive remote updates for the always-on display, while the Wi-Fi Charging module on top wirelessly powers multiple units at once. Each display’s full draw for Wi-Fi connectivity, display/data retrieval, and printing is reported to be around 500mW, while standby mode requires much less.
Digital View
The puck-like AirCord power delivery module is listed as an available option on the ESP6-13 ePaper monitor's product page, and requires pre-installation overhead in the building where the displays will be used. Wi-Charge says each transmitter uses infrared technology to “deliver several watts of power to thumb-sized receivers 30 ft or more away” embedded in the Digital View displays.
The 13.3-inch E Ink Spectra 6-color ePaper display has a resolution of 1,200 x 1,600 pixels and is “highly visible in normal ambient light and very bright conditions, making it ideal for public signage.” Each ESP6-13 monitor is housed in an aluminum frame and comes with built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB-C connectivity.
“This innovative display combines Wi-Fi connectivity with wireless power, providing unparalleled flexibility in placement as it enables remote content management and wireless operation, requiring no cables or battery changes,” Wi-Charge said in a LinkedIn post.
As is common with business-focused technologies, pricing has not yet been announced, but companies and institutions interested in learning more are asked to contact the company directly.
Source: Digital Outlook