GoKawiilLast fall, Modos debuted the Paper Monitor and Dev Kit, an open-source e-paper display kit that hit a record 75-hertz refresh rate. The project was successful, raising almost double its $110,000 goal.
Now the two-person startup is back fund-raising for Modos Flow, a 13.3-inch color e-paper monitor with a higher native resolution of 3,200 x 2,400, touch input, and a 60Hz refresh rate, which is made possible by a new display controller called Enchanter.
With the Flow’s crowdfunding campaign now live on Crowd Supply, cofounders Alexander Soto and Wenting Zhang spoke with IEEE Spectrum about the engineering behind it and the lessons they’ve learned on their crowdfunding journey.
This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
IEEE Spectrum: What is the Modos Flow, and how does it improve on the Paper Monitor Dev Kit?
Wenting Zhang: The previous Paper Dev Kit is a DIY kit. You get the screen and the board, but nothing else. You add your own shell or embed it in another project. A lot of people connect it to a Raspberry Pi, for example.
The Modos Flow is a complete monitor. The only port is USB Type-C, so you’re supposed to connect it to a laptop or PC.
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