BMW Goes Bonkers
We have mentioned the use of bi-stable inks developed by E-ink (8069.TT) and popularized by E-readers and ESLs (Electronic Store labels), but BMW (BMW.GR) has come up with a use that goes far beyond those applications. E-ink technology is based on a film that contains micro-capsules filled with a clear fluid and positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles. When an electric charge is applied to one side of the micro-capsule it attracts the positively charged white particles to the top of the capsule, making it appear white, and when an inverse charge is applied, it attracts the black particles to the top, making the capsule appear black, with each capsule able to be divided in half, allowing both black and white to form gray. What makes this system most popular is the fact that once the voltage is applied, the particles remain in their last position without any power being applied, unlike most displays that need to be refreshed 60 or more times each second. This makes such films an easy choice for battery operated devices that must last a long time before replacement.
BMW has applied this technology to the surface of a BMW iX, naming it the ‘Flow’, and while there was no mention of whether the concept would ever be applied to mass production vehicles, the demo vehicle shown at CES takes the concept to a practical level. As shown in the video below, the finish of the vehicle is easily changed from black to white at the whim of the user, along, in this case, with the color of the rims, and while the concept was likely intended to attract considerable attention (which it seems to have done), the BMW project leader indicated that not only does it look good, but has some practical applications. In a cold environment, changing the finish to black would allow the car to absorb as much of the sun’s rays as possible, reducing the load on the vehicles heating system, and inversely when in a bright environment, turning the shell white, would allow it to reflect much of the sun’s heat.
That said, at any time in a given parking lot there are a number of folks who can’t quite remember where they parked their car and have to wander aimlessly until they are close enough to use their key fob to flash the lights or honk the horn. None of this would be necessary if you have the BMW iX Flow, which you can set to constantly change from black to white, making it highly visible in almost any environment, and all of this is done with almost no power consumption. While the development of such a vehicle took years, eventually the same multi-color inks that are used in newer E-ink displays could be applied in the same way, allowing you to change the color of your car according to your mood, or even have the car do it for you by reading your facial expression (we are getting carried away here). Again this is a concept car and may never see the light of day other than at exhibitions and demonstrations, but we have to admit its an application we had not thought of. The link below shows the BMW demo.
youtu.be/DGFBU7CYvM0
BMW has applied this technology to the surface of a BMW iX, naming it the ‘Flow’, and while there was no mention of whether the concept would ever be applied to mass production vehicles, the demo vehicle shown at CES takes the concept to a practical level. As shown in the video below, the finish of the vehicle is easily changed from black to white at the whim of the user, along, in this case, with the color of the rims, and while the concept was likely intended to attract considerable attention (which it seems to have done), the BMW project leader indicated that not only does it look good, but has some practical applications. In a cold environment, changing the finish to black would allow the car to absorb as much of the sun’s rays as possible, reducing the load on the vehicles heating system, and inversely when in a bright environment, turning the shell white, would allow it to reflect much of the sun’s heat.
That said, at any time in a given parking lot there are a number of folks who can’t quite remember where they parked their car and have to wander aimlessly until they are close enough to use their key fob to flash the lights or honk the horn. None of this would be necessary if you have the BMW iX Flow, which you can set to constantly change from black to white, making it highly visible in almost any environment, and all of this is done with almost no power consumption. While the development of such a vehicle took years, eventually the same multi-color inks that are used in newer E-ink displays could be applied in the same way, allowing you to change the color of your car according to your mood, or even have the car do it for you by reading your facial expression (we are getting carried away here). Again this is a concept car and may never see the light of day other than at exhibitions and demonstrations, but we have to admit its an application we had not thought of. The link below shows the BMW demo.
youtu.be/DGFBU7CYvM0
E-Ink schematic - Source: E-Ink
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