If you thought the largest active-matrix electrophoretic display you could buy is only 32 inches on the diagonal, it’s time to think again. At CES 2017, in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s seemingly endless South Hall, E Ink showed its new 42″ display in cooperation with QuirkLogic, whose networked white-board system (called “Quilla”) is the display’s first application and which we first reported on from Infocomm (Quirk Logic Shows Largest Ever E Ink Display), its first public showing. Both companies preferred the designation “eWriter” to “whiteboard.”
Quillas can wirelessly connect to Quillas in other offices down the hall or around the world for active collaboration and sharing. The 42-inch display has 85 ppi and 16 levels of gray, specifications which appear appropriate for the connected eWriter application.
Each Quilla normally hangs from a wall mount, which delivers power and connects to broadband. Simply lifting the Quilla off the mount, switches it to battery power and a WiFi connection. The unit weights a bit over 20 pounds (9kg) and will run all day on a battery charge.
QuirkLogic and E Ink claim that Quilla offers the feel of pen on paper, and I can verify that. There was just enough latency between moving the stylus and having the line on the display follow the stylus point to be annoying. E Ink Chief Strategy officer Paul Apen and QuirkLogic’s Mike Maby agreed that the latency is primarily a software issue, and that QuirkLogic is confident of solving it in the near term.
In addition to the connected business and design applications shown in the booth, QuirkLogic and E Ink see architecture as an important market. The companies expect to have more to say and show by the time of SID Display Week in May.
