FEATURE DISPLAYS & UIS
EINK: WHEN USABILITY MEETS WEARABILITY Plastic Logic flexible displays help L!BER8 create the next generation of high-fashion wearables
the app will give users a choice of over 10,000 different patterns, and the ability to personalise their own images which can easily be selected and applied to the bracelet. Because Plastic Logic’s technology
only draws a small amount of power when the display is refreshed to display a new image, L!BER8 was able to create an extremely low power, long-lasting battery design. This means the device doesn’t need to be continually recharged by the wearer, which is an attractive end user benefit.
I
n 2015, Zoli Kovacs, CEO of Budapest- based L!BER8 Technology set out on a
mission; to create a range of wireless, battery-free, fashion wearables that symbolise the next level in customisation, personalisation and aesthetics. Two years on, L!BER8 has created ‘Tago Arc’ an elegant smart- bracelet featuring a flexible E Ink display that adapts to a wide array of patterns and designs depending on the wearer’s style and mood.
BUILDING A CUSTOMISED DISPLAY For such a radically new and innovative product development L!BER8 knew that creating a display that was high quality, truly flexible, robust, shatterproof, low- power and lightweight was not going to be easy. A traditional glass display was not an option. The team quickly realised it needed to find a technology partner that could help it develop a custom display that could turn Tago Arc from an idea into a reality. After a long search, L!BER8 found
Plastic Logic in Dresden, Germany and started a discussion about the design requirements and challenges involved in creating the bracelet. Impressed by Plastic Logic’s leading-
edge flexible plastic electronic technology, proven advanced manufacturing process and its commitment to customer support, L!BER8 was convinced Plastic Logic had the unique capabilities to meet its highly unusual need. Initially, Plastic Logic suggested using one of its existing off-the-shelf designs
8 OCTOBER 2017 | ELECTRONICS
however, the screen display and the active area (where the image appears) was smaller than required. Basically, the screen did not go right to the metal ends of the bracelet – which is an important consideration in the high-fashion wearable market where aesthetics is everything. After further discussion about
development requirements and unique materials, the two company’s agreed on a final version of the screen – which is the version being used in the bracelet today. The project had two key milestones.
The first one was customising the display to meet the visual requirements of the bracelet and the second was the seamless delivery of the product in volume. In all it took approximately seven months to take the bracelet from concept to reality.
THE CREATION OF AN EVER- EVOLVING PRODUCT The ability of Plastic Logic’s technology to enable exciting product development opportunities in pioneering applications has helped L!BER8 achieve, in Tago Arc, a high-fashion smart bracelet that users can fully customise with different digital patterns to fit their mood, clothes, other accessories, friends’ clothes, their accessories – the possibilities are endless. The final display reaches end-to-end
from the metal rims of the bracelet – so the entire surface can display the various patterns, which are selected and synced wirelessly through a mobile phone app. Available on Android and iOS platforms,
Figure 1: As regulations and
LOOKING AHEAD Commenting on the partnership, Zoli Kovacs, CEO of L!BER8, said: “Plastic Logic met and exceeded our expectations by offering great guidance and uncompromising support. The team really were as flexible as their displays. The idea of the bracelet was not to be a tech gadget but to be a premium fashion accessory and Plastic Logic provided the high quality display to help make this happen.” L!BER8 is just one example of some of
the innovative applications that Plastic Logic has helped to bring to life. Other examples include mutli-function credit and bank cards, smart backpacks and digital signage – from shelf-edge labels and smart meters to security tags. Each and every one of these developments have benefited from the bi-stable nature of e-paper displays (i.e. energy is only required when updating the display, but not to maintain information on the display), as well as their robust and shatterproof characteristics. With Allied Market Research recently
predicting that the global e-paper display market size will grow to $4.2b in 2022 from $490 million in 2015, it is an exciting time to be operating in this space. Savvy designers are already using the technology to find new ways of improving each generation of their products, as well as creating some of the most unique innovations to enter the market, and this is a trend the Plastic Logic expects to continue if companies are to remain competitive in crowded market conditions.
Plastic Logic
www.plasticlogic.com T: +49 (0)351 883440
/ ELECTRONICS
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