Collaborative networked research project MikroMem

In the beginning of the '00, new generation displays were introduced by the corporations E-INK and Gyricon. Common point of the developed technologies is the use of microencapsulated, electrically polarized particles which are specifically aligned on a pixel array. While E-INK uses differently polarized particles with a different colour (e.g. black and white), the Gyricon technology focuses on a spherical particle in which the two hemispheres are differently polarized and coloured. Both technologies are characterized by a very good resolution, competitive relative energy efficiency in comparison to other display technologies and low-priced production costs. The biggest drawbacks are certainly the limited capacity to display more than two colours as well as the need for electrodes and circuits. The technologies application field is therefore reduced to simple displays, for example electronic books (cf. Amazon Kindle) or electronic labelling. Fraunhofer researchers together with the research group of Professor Yadong Yin from the University of California Riverside have now developed a microcapsules based technology allowing a system which is tuneable in its colour scale without the need for an integrated energy supply, electrodes or circuits. A further characteristic of the encapsulated system is its memory effect thus leading to broad applicability. The approach, called "MikroMem - microcapsules with memory effect", is a patented technology from Fraunhofer-Society. Aim of the collaborative network research project MikroMem is to prove the system feasibility and its transfer into different industrial application. The collaborative research model imported from The U.S. has high potentiality and is moreover characterized by a great flexibility. Namely, a group of industrial companies from different application fields brought together by the goal of realizing a highly innovative technology shares the development risks and expense and will benefits from the technology realization as exclusive partner on the respective application area. The forthcoming technology developed by researcher at the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft and UCR will be presented together with the collaborative research approach.