What They Say
BMW showed a demonstration of a car wrapped in E Ink film. The film was laser cut to be applied to the car. There are static images (using no power after the change of course), but the most interesting use is when the change is dynamic.
BMW said that the ability to switch colour (or more accurately, tone) would allow the use of colour to act as an external signal or communicate information and also said that ‘flashing’ the colour could help to find the car in a car park.
What We Think
Finding the car is an interesting application. I remember getting back to some huge temporary car parks at CeBIT which did not have permanent row markings and where staff were employed to help drivers locate their vehicles! BMW highlighted that changing the colour could change the thermal characteristics of the car so that it absorbed or reflected heat as needed.
This idea is, at this stage, something of a gimmick, but if the film was cheap enough, it might be interesting as an option. I would worry, though, that the surface is not as durable as a good paint finish. I also seem to remember that changing the colour of a vehicle has to be notified to authorities. That could be a challenge 🙂
Famously, the futurist, Alvin Toffler, said in the late 70s that after mass production, the next wave of manufacturing innovation was in mass customisation. Considerations of safety and certification make variation difficult in the automotive area, but being able to customise the look dynamically may excite some customers. Cars can be, and are, wrapped, to customise the look but the process takes time and costs several thousand dollars. (BR)
