E Ink Announces Expansion of Digital Paper Pilot Project by MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Expands the Deployment of Sustainable ePaper Displays to Provide Real-Time Passenger Information Across the Greater Boston Area

BILLERICA, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–E Ink Holdings, “E Ink” (8069.TW), the leading innovator of electronic ink technology, today announced the expanded deployment of E Ink digital paper displays by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). As part of the Green Line Transformation (GLT), the transit service initially added 10 solar-powered digital paper signs that display arrival times along the Green Line stations and recently expanded the deployment to include 18 additional signs at bus stops in six municipalities throughout Greater Boston. Up-to-date arrival times and schedules are especially important now, as weekday service has been reduced to support social distancing in light of COVID-19.

The signs are designed to display real-time arrival information and service alerts, keeping riders up-to-date on when the next train or bus will arrive. The first stage of the pilot initially launched in 2017, when solar-powered signs were installed on the D branch of the Green Line. The first stage tested durability, performance and gathered customer feedback. With only 39 percent of the Green Line stations with the capability to provide real-time information, the pilot was designed to see if the gap could be closed with E Ink’s ePaper displays. Many stations have limited access to electricity or fiber communication lines, preventing the use of traditional displays that require a hard-wired installation. By using a combination of solar panels and E Ink’s extremely low-power technology, these displays can be installed at any station. The pilot was recently expanded to include additional bus stops, many of which lacked the infrastructure and connectivity to support standard real-time information displays.

“E Ink’s roots are in Boston, so we are proud to be a part of this project to sustainably keep passengers up-to-date with the most accurate information,” said Paul Apen, Chief Business & Operations Officer at E Ink. “In our rapidly changing environment, it’s important to provide passengers with the latest service information for the best possible experience.”

E Ink displays enable schedules and service alerts that can be displayed clearly and efficiently with the readability of paper. Unlike paper, this technology doesn’t generate waste or require staff to manually update each location. The displays are rugged and designed to withstand a large range of temperatures through summer and cold winters. Additionally, they are light-reflective rather than emissive, ensuring a sleek aesthetic and preventing the addition of light pollution to surrounding neighborhoods.

Check out this interactive map for details on where the new displays are installed. For more information on E Ink and digital paper, visit www.eink.com.

About E Ink

E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, has transformed and defined the eReader market, enabling a new multi-billion dollar market in less than 10 years. E Ink’s low power products are ideal for IoT applications ranging from retail, home, hospital, transportation and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. The Company’s corporate philosophy aims to deliver revolutionary products, user experiences and environmental benefits through advanced technology development. This vision has led to its continuous investments in the field of ePaper displays as well as expanding the use of its technologies into a number of other markets and applications including smart packaging and fashion. Its Electrophoretic Display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its Fringe Field Switching (FFS) technologies are a standard for high-end LCD displays and have been licensed to all major liquid crystal display makers in the world. Listed in Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit www.eink.com.