E-Ink Transit Displays

Bus stops near campus recently got e-ink display panels showing arrival times. The screens are readable in direct sunlight, which always bothered me about the old LED ones. The technology uses almost no power because it only draws electricity when the display changes. For a bus schedule updating every 30 seconds, that means running on a small solar panel mounted on top of the shelter. Contrast is sharp in a way that reminds me of actual printed paper. I find myself trusting the information more because it looks like a sign instead of a screen. The refresh is fascinating, a quick flash where the whole panel goes dark for a fraction of a second before new text appears. Black text on a light gray background eliminates all the visual noise of a color screen. For showing 3 bus routes and their ETAs, that's exactly the right amount of information. Standing at the stop, I feel like I'm looking at a well-designed timetable rather than a glowing rectangle trying to sell me something.