Eco-friendly smart screens perform better in bright light

New ultra-thin, flexible displays produce color and images by reflecting natural light.

Device screens require lots of power, emit blue light, and perform poorly in bright conditions. However, a new generation of screens with a range of applications could be about to change this.

Bodle’s ultra-thin, flexible SRD displays, developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, work by enabling nano-pixels to reflect natural light. Reflecting the light back through an active layer with a changeable refractive index, enables viewers to perceive a range of colors. Backlights require a lot of energy and are one of the main reasons for smartphone battery loss. This new display uses fractional amounts of energy for power and consumes none whatsoever wile displaying static images.

While the e-paper used by many devices is also readable in bright light conditions, Bodle’s SRD display is different. It has the advantage of being able to show video in a very high resolution color. Bodle’s features provide possible potential in eco-friendly low power alternatives for outdoor IoT devices or information displays that require almost no power to run. Additionally, SRDs are usable as bright, dynamic additions to clothes and wearables.

Bodle hasn’t released a date as to when their SRDs will be commercially available. However, they have recently secured GBP 6 million in seed funding, meaning their reflective displays could soon be a common sight.

We’ve previously written about the dangers of the blue-light from smart screens and how companies are beginning to offer solutions to save us from ourselves. How else can tech companies keep their users’ circadian rhythms healthy?