Thorn EMI Plc’s Central Research Laboratories has developed a low-power liquid crystal diode display screen which it says will boost notebook battery life to as much as 100 hours. The firm is quoting a 1,000-line resolution for the Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Display screen, which it is hoping to license to manufacturers of notebooks, cellular telephones, electronic organisers and personal digital assistants. The display, labelled Electronic Paper, uses SNETIC liquid crystals which retain an image without needing constant power to refresh it. They can be manufactured for less than most conventional Super Twisted Nematic screens, on an STN production line with only a few modifications. The system, black on grey, is an offshoot of a colour technology the Thorn lab has licensed to a Japanese manufacturer, which is now working on it in its laboratories. The other benefits of the system are a wider viewing angle and a lower voltage – only 12 Volts are required to operate the display. The Laboratories, which used to provide research and development services exclusively to Thorn EMI, uses the same type of technology in formats as small as 10mm square, for optical image processing. The small systems, which are called Spatial Light Modulators, are used with laser light to scan and recognise images and are being used in a three-year project as part of the European Commission’s Esprit initiative. The project, which is already halfway to completion, will result in a sub-UKP500 box that will fit into a car and read road signs, reminding motorists when they are approaching dangerous areas.
