Dutch researchers from firm LiquaVista claim to have developed a new display technology called Electowetting displays, which is four times more energy efficient than LCD technology. The technology is being developed for use in e-reader-type products and one of its key benefits is that it performs extremely well under direct lighting due to the way it works.
Using the well established Electrowetting principle (as described in this
white paper), the technology involves moving coloured beads of oil around within each pixel. Light shining through the pixels produces the display. A benefit over LCD technology is that it doesn’t require a back light at all times. Light can shine through the front of the display and be reflected back through the pixels. This means that the more ambient light that shines on it, the brighter it gets. In a darker environment, the device can use a built-in back-light only when required, which contributes to its energy saving properties. A second benefit of the technology is that it has a refresh rate of 60 Hz, making it possible to show video content on such a display. According to the BBC, the company is in discussions with e-book company Plastic Logic about using the technology in its products, but Liquavista’s head Guy Demuynck told the BBC, "you certainly could see this technology in your smartphone, in your mobile phone, in your web tablet, in your PC, in your notebook, but eventually you could see it in your home as a TV in your living room.” This video, shot by Liquavista at CES this year, compares the technology with existing e-reader products.