Most of us spend our days staring at glowing rectangles. Whether it's writing code, reading documentation, answering emails, or browsing the web, modern computing revolves around LCD and OLED displays. They're fast, colorful, and capable, but they can also be hard on our eyes.
That's one reason E Ink displays have remained popular despite their limitations. Their paper-like appearance makes them comfortable to read for extended periods, but slow refresh rates have prevented them from becoming a practical replacement for traditional computer monitors.
The Modos Flow is an attempt to change that.
An Open-Hardware E Ink Monitor
Currently seeking funding on Crowd Supply, the Modos Flow is a 13.3-inch E Ink monitor designed for reading, writing, programming, and other text-focused tasks. Rather than treating E Ink as a secondary display technology, the project aims to make it useful as an everyday computer monitor.
The display is available in both monochrome and color versions. The monochrome model uses a 3200 x 2400 Carta E Ink panel, while the color version uses E Ink's Kaleido 3 technology. Both connect to Linux, Windows, and macOS systems over USB-C using DisplayPort Alt Mode.
Unlike many E Ink devices that function as self-contained tablets or e-readers, the Flow is intended to work as a standard external monitor.
Built Around a Custom Controller
Getting acceptable performance from an E Ink display is no easy task. Traditional E Ink panels are known for ghosting, slow refreshes, and noticeable latency whenever the image changes.
To improve responsiveness, Modos developed its own open-source controller platform called Caster. The hardware is built around a Spartan-6 FPGA paired with an STM32H750 microcontroller. Instead of constantly refreshing the entire display, the controller updates only the portions of the screen that have changed.
According to Modos, this approach allows refresh rates of up to 60 Hz while keeping latency below 100 milliseconds. While nobody is going to use an E Ink monitor for competitive gaming, the performance appears sufficient for scrolling through documents, browsing websites, editing code, and other everyday tasks.
The monitor also offers multiple display modes that allow users to balance image quality against refresh speed depending on what they're doing.
Designed to Be Hacked
One of the more interesting aspects of the project is how much of it is open. Hardware files, firmware, software, and documentation are being released to the community. The company has already published previous display-related projects, including the Paper Dev Kit, and the Flow continues that philosophy.
The monitor includes support for VESA mounting and optional touch input. The color version can also be configured with stylus support for note-taking and annotation.
A Different Kind of Monitor
The Modos Flow won't replace traditional displays for everyone. If your work revolves around video editing, gaming, or graphic design, a conventional monitor is still the better choice.
But there are plenty of people who spend most of their day reading and writing. For those users, an E Ink monitor offers something that modern displays often don't: fewer distractions and a more comfortable reading experience.
Whether the Flow succeeds or not, it's encouraging to see open hardware being applied to a category that has traditionally been dominated by proprietary designs. For makers interested in display technology, it's one of the more interesting projects currently making its way through crowdfunding. You can pick one up for between $619 and $719.