The revolutionary kind of paper knows how to play sounds

Jun 7, 2007 07:12 GMT  ·  By

A couple of researchers in Sweden came up with a weird idea of creating a new kind of paper, which is going to give life to your posters.

Well, the paper can literally play sounds. It uses a combination of technology including the revolutionary e-ink, to embed digital information in each sheet.

Nowadays, we can see how the world is becoming full of cool monitors and electronic displays made with liquid crystals, light-emitting diodes and the latest gas plasma. It is true, the Chinese invented the paper in 105 A.D, but let's face it, who has ever thought that paper might become a revolutionary display technology again?

According to the National Association of Paper Merchants in England, the world is going to use an estimated 280 million tons of paper, only in 2007, which means more wood is needed, so more forests are going to be destroyed in the process. So, scientists thought that the best solution would be replacing the paper with a revolutionary technology called "electronic ink" . This should successfully replace the wood and save trees which are needed to prevent pollution.

The electronic ink can be easily applied to the same kind of material that regular ink can be printed on. Regarding the digital books, the pages have to be made out of some kind of ultra-thin plastic.

When you touch a specific part of the paper, you'll hear a sound, a voice, a music tone or a text that is printed on the paper. The idea is great for blind people, as they won't have to learn the Braille alphabet anymore.

There are a few prototypes which show how the paper can be used in advertising campaigns. Just imagine: your poster with U2 would actually sound like Bono, playing your favorite track by simply touching it.

Probably, the main idea about the digital paper is to turn it into the best advertising tool ever, as heavy names on the market would enjoy adding sounds to their brands.