Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG), Berlin’s main public transportation company, has announced that it is installing new bus stop signs featuring E Ink displays. The company, which happens to be the largest municipal transport operator in Germany and one of the biggest in Europe, said it is putting up E Ink bus stop signs in at least five locations in Berlin (including the “Jannowitzbrücke” S-Bahn stop). All of this forms part of a trial run, and there might be more such E Ink displays installed in more locations across the city if the trial proves to be successful.
According to ITHome, which reported on the development, each of the E Ink bus stop signs comprises 13-inch e-paper panels having a resolution of up to 2200 × 1650. The displays are entirely battery-powered and are rated to last up to 3 years on a single charge. BVG said they prioritised battery power over anything else, such as mains or solar power, as the battery offered the best advantage. Given Berlin’s latitude, opting for solar power would have required too large a panel to effectively power the E Ink displays over a considerable period of time.
It is not known, though, how many E Ink panel refresh cycles the battery would support to allow for a 3-year run time. Also not known is whether the battery would need to be replaced entirely after the said time or if they need to be recharged to allow for another 3 years or so of run time.
Nonetheless, the E Ink display modules are designed to communicate via GSM/3G/4G networks with the central control module. The display modules have also been ruggedised enough to efficiently operate at temperatures as low as -20 degrees to as high as 70 degrees Centigrade. The module will also be able to handle 100 percent humidity.
It remains to be seen if more such E Ink bus stop signs get installed in and around Berlin.
