Folks have been hacking Amazon Kindle devices for years, using them as E Ink monitors or thermometers, among other things. But the Inkplate 6 project goes a few steps further by recycling the E Ink screens from old Kindles and transforming them into versatile, programmable displays with WiFi and Bluetooth support.

The creators of the project have launched a crowdfunding campaign at Crowd Supply and if all goes according to plan, folks who pay $99 for an Inkplate 6 should receive the device in April, 2020.

While the recycled Kindle screen is the first thing that stands out about the Inkplate 6, it wouldn’t be very useful without some additional hardware. So in addition to a 6 inch, 800 x 600 pixel e-paper display, the device consists of:

  • ESP32 WROVER microcontroller with integrated WiFi and Bluetooth, a dual-core processor, 8MP of RAM, and 4MB of flash storage
  • MicroSD card reader for stroage
  • Three capacitive touch pads for input
  • Micro USB port for power and/or data
  • GPIO pins

The system is programmable using Adruino IDE and MycroPython, allowing you to program it to use in a variety of ways. For example, you could make your own eReader that’s not subject to the same restrictions as a Kindle. You could make a grayscale digital photo frame. You could create a E Ink typewriter/word processor. Or you could use the Inkplate 6 for DIY digital signage.

The Inkplate 6 is also open hardware — meaning it’s powered by open source software and the design files for the project are all available. You can find all of the documentation at github.

via Geeky-Gadgets and CNX-Software

 

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4 replies on “Inkplate 6 is a versatile E Ink display made from recycled Kindle screens (crowdfunding)”

    1. E-Ink Android tablets already exist. They aren’t much good for anything more than reading text or displaying static images, since the refresh rate is inherently so poor. Boox has a few models.

      1. There are many other features of a “tablet”. godknows Amazon itself is pushing Echo integration, as well as audiobooks, podcasts even specific apps for specific functions, like downloading maps. You’re ignoring a whole hosts of uses because your fixated on video. Maybe it’s not good for Crysis, and that’s your idea of “aren’t much good for anything”.

    2. yes. apparently many people have no idea what to do with a tablet other than streaming video, Zoom (2020 anyways), play videos games, or giving it to your kids to watch movies or play games so they will sit still and shut up. Weirdly, it may take an Apple iPod-like-campaign to educate people on alternative uses. (Streaming music would be good)

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