HP Innovation Journal Issue 07: Summer 2017 | Page 22

MAKER SPOTLIGHT A new rewritable printing technology set to impact multiple industries by O  mer Gila, Director of Research, Pa3DL, HP Labs, HP; Napoleon Leoni, Distinguished Technologist, Pa3DL, HP Labs, HP H P Labs is piloting a new display tech- nology that could impact a num- ber of industries including finance, hospitality, healthcare, security, retail, and transportation. HP IonTouch is a secure, integrated sys- tem for placing and updating timely, per- sonalized visual information onto digital displays embedded in plastic cards of the size of credit card. IonTouch removes the electronics from conventional electronic paper displays in- cluding the display backplane, battery, and processor. This enables a high resolution 2.5″ display on each card with a small incre- mental cost. The low-cost, energy-free display uses an external writer (known as an IonTouch imager). Images written remain permanent unless re-imaged by an IonTouch imager. The 2.5″ 300 x 300 dpi resolution dis- play with 16 level gray scale is large enough to show a clear photo, a QR code, and text information all together at the same time. A barcode on the back of the card uniquely identifies each card, allowing the imaging de- vice to retrieve any new information from the cloud to be written on the card. Alternative technologies to identify the cards could be readily integrated with the IonTouch system including magnetic stripes, contact or con- tact-less smart card chips, etc. The imager erases the card’s current display before print- ing the new information onto its electronic paper via a floating, non-contact print head in much the same way an HP Inkjet head prints ink onto conventional paper — but without the ink. The entire process takes only a few seconds. The image can be rewritten more than 10,000 times. The cards are made to be flexible, durable, water-washable, and impact resistant. Crucially, the cards also cost little to produce. Where competing solutions with a comparable electronic screen size cost more than $100 per card to manufacture, HP IonTouch cards are projected to cost less than a couple of dol- lars to make. Potential uses include gift cards that display personalized messages, security badges that are reau- thorized dai ly, smarter hotel door keys, medical cards, public transport passes, and loyalty cards that update their value and HP IonTouch enables a new type of smart cards. Low-cost, high quality, energy-free, secure, and reusable. include discounts or offers that are 22 Innovation Journal · Issue 7 · Summer 2017 personalized for the user. The technology also has potential for other applications like signage, including low-cost, rewritable shelf tag labels. Making cards rewritable makes them re- usable which is good for the environment as it eliminates millions of wasted cards every year. Since the only way to change information on the IonTouch cards is using the IonTouch imagers, this also adds an- other layer of protection, making the cards very secure. Being able to update or rotate security codes would boost the security of credit cards and enable reuse of gift cards, replacing the scratchable or permanent se- curity codes in use today. The HP IonTouch pilot, currently under- way, deploys an advanced automated dig- ital badge entry system at HP’s own Palo Alto headquarters. This pilot will give the IonTouch concept important visibility and valuable feedback on the business and the technology aspects. IonTouch is in incubation mode at HP and thus in early release/pilots.   Omer Gila is director of research at HP. He joined HP Labs in 2001 working on digital commercial printing technology. Omer has more than 70 issued patents. Napoleon Leoni is a distinguished tech- nologist at HP Labs. He joined HP Labs in 2003 working on digital commercial printing technology. Napoleon has more than 30 issued patents.