Wallpaper can quickly get boring. So how about a wall of digital tiles that can display an ever-changing mix of patterns?
New “digital surfacing material” could create a wall of colors and landscapes that changes every few seconds, says Unplggd. Think of an effect similar to that by a digital photo frame, but on a much larger scale.
Israeli company Magink, in partnership with Japanese firm Shimizu, is manufacturing these tiles. The digital tiles are fairly low-power, thin building blocks that can be stacked up to cover any size wall, says Magink.
“The product line offers a new set of applications that range from outdoor billboards to indoor video surfaces, as well as a new interactive digital tiling solution,” says Magink on its website. For instance, a museum or a building can display art on its walls without flooding the area with light, says the company.
The basic building block is a square panel that’s 6.7 inches in size and about 2.8 inches thick. The tiles have a refresh rate of 60 frames per second. Currently, the tiles can only handle still images, says Unplggd, since video consumes too much power.
Unlike backlit LCDs, Magink’s tiles, also called SmartBricks, are reflective, so they display images using only ambient light. That’s the key to their low power consumption.
So far, Magink has been selling the tiles to billboard companies and sports arenas. But it looks like this idea has a pretty good chance of creeping into the living room.
Photos: Unplggd
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