CLEARink announced that it signed a comprehensive materials development agreement with Merck with an aim to bring CLEARink's reflective display technology to the market by the end of 2017.
CLEARink displays are based on a specially designed reflector film that can vary its brightness by by modulating the total internal reflection of ambient light from film. The display sues a single electrically charged particle suspended in a liquid. The technology is called TIR (Total Internal Reflection) and the company believes that its manufacturing costs will be lower compared to other reflective display technologies. The displays offer full-color, low power (slightly above E Ink), outdoor readability, low cost and video support (low latency).
CLEARink aims to produce display development kits in the first half of 2017 and commercial production in early 2018. First applications will include smart watches and smart bands, smart phones, tablets, electronic shelf labels and more. CLEARink will pursue a strategy of selling display modules made by its eco-system partners and will also license its technology for display companies to make their own products.
