Archive - Imperfect Now

A New Kind of Interior Decoration

A few years ago, electronic paper made a debut in airport and retail signs. Electronic paper first appeared as monochrome text. The paper had particles coated black on one side and white on another, and when an electric current was added, would reveal a static black and white sign.

When E Ink [ eink.com ] first came on the market six years ago, all the media was excited that the new electronic age had arrived. Newspapers and magazines would forever be current. A single book could have more volumes than the Library of Alexandria. The only hurdle was shrinking the technology from two inch tall fonts to standard twelve points.

Instead, electronic ink went in the opposite direction. Magink Technologies [www.magink.com ] has begun offering a full color billboard printed with none other than a form electronic paper that can easily be reprogrammed.

Electronic paper holds its image without an electric current, meaning that while the boards will be easily changed, the maintenance fees are relatively low. As a result, battery operated retail signs in the early years of the technology were successful.

However, the next generation electronic paper will have faster refresh rates. Once electronic paper has a frame rate per second on par with television, no doubt crafty marketers will jump at the chance to broadcast thirty foot wide screens over highways across the country.

But there just might be a better use: electronic wallpaper.

Once electronic paper comes down in cost, wallpaper made from it could be common place. Unlike LCD technology, electronic paper is much more flexible and has many of the tactile sensations of traditional paper, making it perfect to replace wallpaper.

No longer will interior decorators force clients to choose a pattern or a color for their new living room. Instead, homeowners would install the electronic paper and adjust the colors or the patterns to their mood. Having a Christmas party? Why not make the room red and green. Hosting a baby shower? Why not turn the room pink and baby blue.

But even better than easily changing the colors of a room, digital paper with a fast frame rate could display even more. Programmable scenes—like screen savers, only for the wall—could become common place. For instance, perhaps such a scene would turn the living room into an under water coral reef with tropical fish. Or perhaps you’d rather be overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Simply call up the program and display it on the wallpaper.

But electronic wallpaper could go even further. Perhaps, for example, the wallpaper is installed in a business environment. Conference telephone could include full, life sized images in real time. Instead of traveling thousands of miles for a meeting, businessman could literally look each other in the eye across a conference table.

Expanding on this theme further, digital wallpaper could make possible an executive managing a business thousands of miles away. The executive perhaps would be located in an expensive Manhattan office building with all the prestige that goes along with it. Meanwhile, the employees he manages work in the middle of North Dakota where office space does not cost a premium. With a life sized image of the executive at the North Dakota office, and life sized images of the employees served up to the executive, business could save millions of dollars in rent money.

The potential business applications of electronic wall paper goes far beyond the crude and elementary billboards currently on the market. And of course, nothing will replace a person to person meeting entirely. However, if you’re interested in hosting a dinner party on the service of the moon, or if you like to alter the color of your bedroom walls every night before bed, get ready for digital wallpaper.