SDG13
Electronic Paper Applications in Sustainable Campuses: "The Future of Paper" Brings Imagination to Reality
On November 27, 2024, at the Future Venue of National Cheng Kung University, a Future Bento gathering brought together six NCKU students, faculty, and an industry "coach team" to witness breakthroughs and innovations in the application of electronic paper technology in daily campus life.
During the third iteration of the "Future Dynamic Program," three student teams presented their visions of "The Future of Paper." These included a "collaborative system" to facilitate efficient, cross-domain learning; an electronic bulletin board providing an interactive solution for the lack of a unified messaging system on campus; and an integrated digital record system for laboratory equipment usage, saving paper and upgrading to smart management.
These projects were implemented through programming and showcased on November 27 using 13.3-inch eNote electronic paper notebooks developed by E Ink Holdings Inc. Attendees had the chance to experience these applications, which extended electronic paper's utility beyond its traditional use in e-readers and brought it closer to everyday university life, testing its feasibility for broader campus applications.
From Novices to Pioneers of Electronic Paper Applications
The journey began in the summer of the previous year when CEO Yu-Pei Tsai (Leslie) initiated discussions with Xi-Xuan Wu (Elsa), Senior Manager at E Ink Holdings. In February, six students—Ming-Hong Lin from the Department of Political Science, Zhen-Qian Gao from the Department of Life Sciences, Shao-Ming Ruan and Bo-Ming Li from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Hui-Rou Chen from the Department of Life Sciences, and Shi-Qian Chen from the Institute of Business and Management—began exploring eNote applications. Over six months, these students embarked on a journey guided by Leslie, initially planning to focus on one topic. However, their academic backgrounds and interests led them to branch into three distinct themes, enriching the application possibilities of e-paper.
Starting with little knowledge of e-paper’s potential, the students investigated their surroundings and proposed systems designed around eNote as a solution. Senior Manager Elsa Wu, responsible for product management at E Ink, noted, "As global citizens, the students integrated e-paper into future lifestyles and work, contributing to environmental sustainability.” She was also one of the key “shepherds” during the project, helping students clarify requirements and align goals.
Cross-Disciplinary Industry Mentorship
This journey was supported by a diverse coach team, enabling the six students from various academic backgrounds to transform ideas into tangible prototypes through training and development phases. Hui-Rou Chen, a team member for the lab equipment e-record project and one of the hosts of the Future Bento gathering, detailed the enriching journey: From February to June, the training phase was led by Bo-Yun Ye, director of Loftwork Taiwan Fab, who facilitated idea generation and refinement. For user interface design, De-Jun Li, vice chairman of the Interaction Design Association Taiwan, conducted UI/UX courses.
Once the three themes were established, the prototyping phase began with technical guidance from Zhan-Wei Wu, founder of Good Ideas Studio. Software development support was provided by Jing-Xiang Zhang, an on-site engineer who translated Figma UI designs into functional apps.
E Ink Holdings played a pivotal role in providing practical suggestions. Alongside Senior Manager Elsa Wu, the project was supported by Assistant Manager Zhan-Hong Lin, who ensured alignment between software designs and product specifications; Senior Engineer Yu-Ting Huang, who provided UI tool instruction and final interface refinement advice; and Senior Engineer Yu-Zhang Xu, who resolved technical challenges. CEO Leslie highlighted the human-centered design emphasis, which involved prolonged UI/UX training. “Each project presented today reflects deep reflection and a real-world focus,” she remarked.
E-Paper’s New Value in the ESG Era
E Ink’s globally leading e-paper technology offers paper-like writing experiences and low power consumption through electrophoretic technology. Unlike LCD or OLED displays, e-paper relies on ambient light reflection, reducing eye strain. Beyond e-readers, its applications now include electronic shelf labels, outdoor billboards, and bus stop displays.
Given the global focus on ESG and sustainability, e-paper’s paper-like functionality and energy efficiency have gained attention. “This collaboration demonstrates how students can integrate interaction features into a product traditionally seen as a display tool,” said Elsa Wu during the opening session, expressing her amazement at the team’s achievements.
Proposal 1: Collaborative Note-Taking System
“What are the real learning needs of NCKU students?” Ming-Hong Lin and Zhen-Qian Gao began their project by surveying peers, developing a system for collaborative editing of historical notes and past exam questions. The platform also integrates personal reflections on learning, akin to writing in a notebook. Inspired by the concept of passing notes or using sticky notes, they added a custom message board for emotional exchanges, likened to a pen pal system. They envision this extending to study groups, enriching learning scenarios. Leslie praised the integration of interpersonal relationships into learning processes, especially in addressing post-pandemic social interactions.
Proposal 2: Electronic Communication Board
Shao-Ming Ruan and Bo-Ming Li tackled everyday communication challenges, asking, “Has anyone experienced delayed announcements on Moodle, like finding out two hours late that a class is canceled?” Many students resonated with this issue. The team noted the inefficiency of irrelevant emails and proposed a two-way interactive electronic communication board. Starting from a calendar interface, users could engage with relevant content and provide feedback. “We aim to build a collaborative channel for accurate and effective information exchange,” they explained, envisioning further applications as a medium for emotional communication. Some suggested incorporating inspiring quotes for interdisciplinary enrichment.
Proposal 3: Digital Records for Lab Equipment Usage
Hui-Rou Chen and Shi-Qian Chen proposed digitizing lab equipment usage records. “Throughout our academic journey, research, and theses, many fields involve labs,” they noted, highlighting issues with fragmented paper-based and digital systems. Their solution integrates all lab records into eNote, enabling secure NFC login for borrowing equipment. This system improves efficiency, enhances data security, and synchronizes records across administrative units.
The team calculated potential savings of over 30,000 sheets of paper annually for 100 machines, making it a sustainable choice. Faculty members managing labs also attended the presentation to experience the project. Elsa Wu emphasized the high feasibility of commercializing the proposals through further optimization by E Ink’s R&D team.
Cross-Domain Learning and Transformation
Shao-Ming Ruan and Bo-Ming Li, with a background in electrical engineering, created a web prototype before transitioning to eNote-specific languages. Hui-Rou Chen and Shi-Qian Chen, from unrelated fields, focused on ideation and sought technical assistance for implementation. Ming-Hong Lin, inspired by interface design, considered pursuing it as a career.
Through these projects, students gained diverse skills, from programming to presenting, fostering creative problem-solving.
Mutual Inspiration Between Industry and Academia
This journey, driven by e-paper, energized the six participants intellectually. Elsa Wu reflected, “This project brought me immense joy. These young students dedicated their time beyond academics without any direct benefits, which deeply moved me.” CEO Leslie concluded, “The journey from planning to implementation reflects the innovative mindset we hope to foster at NCKU. Starting from campus life, students connected sustainability principles with practical solutions, showcasing their ability to create a better future.”
During the third iteration of the "Future Dynamic Program," three student teams presented their visions of "The Future of Paper." These included a "collaborative system" to facilitate efficient, cross-domain learning; an electronic bulletin board providing an interactive solution for the lack of a unified messaging system on campus; and an integrated digital record system for laboratory equipment usage, saving paper and upgrading to smart management.
These projects were implemented through programming and showcased on November 27 using 13.3-inch eNote electronic paper notebooks developed by E Ink Holdings Inc. Attendees had the chance to experience these applications, which extended electronic paper's utility beyond its traditional use in e-readers and brought it closer to everyday university life, testing its feasibility for broader campus applications.
From Novices to Pioneers of Electronic Paper Applications
The journey began in the summer of the previous year when CEO Yu-Pei Tsai (Leslie) initiated discussions with Xi-Xuan Wu (Elsa), Senior Manager at E Ink Holdings. In February, six students—Ming-Hong Lin from the Department of Political Science, Zhen-Qian Gao from the Department of Life Sciences, Shao-Ming Ruan and Bo-Ming Li from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Hui-Rou Chen from the Department of Life Sciences, and Shi-Qian Chen from the Institute of Business and Management—began exploring eNote applications. Over six months, these students embarked on a journey guided by Leslie, initially planning to focus on one topic. However, their academic backgrounds and interests led them to branch into three distinct themes, enriching the application possibilities of e-paper.
Starting with little knowledge of e-paper’s potential, the students investigated their surroundings and proposed systems designed around eNote as a solution. Senior Manager Elsa Wu, responsible for product management at E Ink, noted, "As global citizens, the students integrated e-paper into future lifestyles and work, contributing to environmental sustainability.” She was also one of the key “shepherds” during the project, helping students clarify requirements and align goals.
Cross-Disciplinary Industry Mentorship
This journey was supported by a diverse coach team, enabling the six students from various academic backgrounds to transform ideas into tangible prototypes through training and development phases. Hui-Rou Chen, a team member for the lab equipment e-record project and one of the hosts of the Future Bento gathering, detailed the enriching journey: From February to June, the training phase was led by Bo-Yun Ye, director of Loftwork Taiwan Fab, who facilitated idea generation and refinement. For user interface design, De-Jun Li, vice chairman of the Interaction Design Association Taiwan, conducted UI/UX courses.
Once the three themes were established, the prototyping phase began with technical guidance from Zhan-Wei Wu, founder of Good Ideas Studio. Software development support was provided by Jing-Xiang Zhang, an on-site engineer who translated Figma UI designs into functional apps.
E Ink Holdings played a pivotal role in providing practical suggestions. Alongside Senior Manager Elsa Wu, the project was supported by Assistant Manager Zhan-Hong Lin, who ensured alignment between software designs and product specifications; Senior Engineer Yu-Ting Huang, who provided UI tool instruction and final interface refinement advice; and Senior Engineer Yu-Zhang Xu, who resolved technical challenges. CEO Leslie highlighted the human-centered design emphasis, which involved prolonged UI/UX training. “Each project presented today reflects deep reflection and a real-world focus,” she remarked.
E-Paper’s New Value in the ESG Era
E Ink’s globally leading e-paper technology offers paper-like writing experiences and low power consumption through electrophoretic technology. Unlike LCD or OLED displays, e-paper relies on ambient light reflection, reducing eye strain. Beyond e-readers, its applications now include electronic shelf labels, outdoor billboards, and bus stop displays.
Given the global focus on ESG and sustainability, e-paper’s paper-like functionality and energy efficiency have gained attention. “This collaboration demonstrates how students can integrate interaction features into a product traditionally seen as a display tool,” said Elsa Wu during the opening session, expressing her amazement at the team’s achievements.
Proposal 1: Collaborative Note-Taking System
“What are the real learning needs of NCKU students?” Ming-Hong Lin and Zhen-Qian Gao began their project by surveying peers, developing a system for collaborative editing of historical notes and past exam questions. The platform also integrates personal reflections on learning, akin to writing in a notebook. Inspired by the concept of passing notes or using sticky notes, they added a custom message board for emotional exchanges, likened to a pen pal system. They envision this extending to study groups, enriching learning scenarios. Leslie praised the integration of interpersonal relationships into learning processes, especially in addressing post-pandemic social interactions.
Proposal 2: Electronic Communication Board
Shao-Ming Ruan and Bo-Ming Li tackled everyday communication challenges, asking, “Has anyone experienced delayed announcements on Moodle, like finding out two hours late that a class is canceled?” Many students resonated with this issue. The team noted the inefficiency of irrelevant emails and proposed a two-way interactive electronic communication board. Starting from a calendar interface, users could engage with relevant content and provide feedback. “We aim to build a collaborative channel for accurate and effective information exchange,” they explained, envisioning further applications as a medium for emotional communication. Some suggested incorporating inspiring quotes for interdisciplinary enrichment.
Proposal 3: Digital Records for Lab Equipment Usage
Hui-Rou Chen and Shi-Qian Chen proposed digitizing lab equipment usage records. “Throughout our academic journey, research, and theses, many fields involve labs,” they noted, highlighting issues with fragmented paper-based and digital systems. Their solution integrates all lab records into eNote, enabling secure NFC login for borrowing equipment. This system improves efficiency, enhances data security, and synchronizes records across administrative units.
The team calculated potential savings of over 30,000 sheets of paper annually for 100 machines, making it a sustainable choice. Faculty members managing labs also attended the presentation to experience the project. Elsa Wu emphasized the high feasibility of commercializing the proposals through further optimization by E Ink’s R&D team.
Cross-Domain Learning and Transformation
Shao-Ming Ruan and Bo-Ming Li, with a background in electrical engineering, created a web prototype before transitioning to eNote-specific languages. Hui-Rou Chen and Shi-Qian Chen, from unrelated fields, focused on ideation and sought technical assistance for implementation. Ming-Hong Lin, inspired by interface design, considered pursuing it as a career.
Through these projects, students gained diverse skills, from programming to presenting, fostering creative problem-solving.
Mutual Inspiration Between Industry and Academia
This journey, driven by e-paper, energized the six participants intellectually. Elsa Wu reflected, “This project brought me immense joy. These young students dedicated their time beyond academics without any direct benefits, which deeply moved me.” CEO Leslie concluded, “The journey from planning to implementation reflects the innovative mindset we hope to foster at NCKU. Starting from campus life, students connected sustainability principles with practical solutions, showcasing their ability to create a better future.”
"The Future of Paper" sharing session showcasing campus electronic paper projects.
E Ink Marketing Manager Elsa Wu introducing electronic paper and sharing her rewarding project experience.
UI/UX design training on May 10, 2024, led by De-Jun Li, Vice Chair of the Interaction Design Association Taiwan.
Coaches and guests experiencing and providing feedback on the students’ projects.
Event attendees beginning their electronic paper journey with a 13.3-inch eNote sign-in system.
Students exploring collaborative learning system functionalities.
Presentation of the electronic bulletin board project.
E-record team estimating paper savings and highlighting electronic paper’s environmental benefits.
Collaborative learning team sharing their initial research into student needs.
Group photo of the project teams and their coaching mentors.
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