b.cognosco

Another development in the eInk/e-paper arena, scientists at Siemens have unveiled technology for thin, disposable, color displays that can be used on packages to show instructions, different langauges, etc. The switching rate of the technology is even fast enough to show moving pictures.

Siemens USA - Wafer-Thin Color Displays for Packaging

[...] At the Plastics Electronics trade fair in Frankfurt, Siemens developers exhibited extremely thin, miniature color displays that can be printed onto paper or foil. And the displays can be produced at very low cost compared to LCD panels. The first displays will become available on the market in 2007.

The displays show information about products, or even operating instructions for devices, directly on the packaging. A pillbox, for example, could display instructions for how it should be taken and provide this information in several languages with the push of a button. Admission tickets for trade shows could indicate the booths where various exhibitors are located. It’s also conceivable that small computer games will be on packages or that equipment boxes will display animations that give users step-by-step operating instructions when a button is pushed. [...]