E-paper has been beloved for low power use, sunlight readability, and paper-like clarity but always at the cost of sluggish updates. Modos wants to change that. This two-person startup has unveiled a dev kit that pushes e-paper refresh rates to a record 75 Hz, nearly matching basic LCD speeds, and cuts latency sharply, making it viable for real-time use such as scrolling, mapping, and even video, says IEEE Spectrum.
The heart of the innovation is Caster, an open-source display controller built on an AMD Spartan-6 FPGA. Unlike conventional e-paper drivers that treat the entire panel as a single updating block, Caster tackles each pixel individually. That enables localized updates, reducing flash artifacts and improving responsiveness. Modos pairs this controller with the Glider Mega Adapter, a hardware interface that works across dozens of e-paper panels sized between 4.3 and 13 inches, letting users repurpose older displays or experiment with new ones.
Modos offers two kits, a 6-inch and a 13-inch display, both packing HDMI and USB-C connections along with dynamic display modes. Users can switch between fast binary renderings, detailed grayscale, or a hybrid that refines images in layers. Pricing starts at $199 and goes up to $599, with crowdfunding currently live and deliveries expected in late 2025.
Open-source is core to their ethos. Modos provides full schematics, code, and APIs, inviting developers and designers to rethink how they build with e-paper.
This isn’t about gimmicks. It’s a meaningful leap in productivity-grade e-paper, potentially reshaping tools for writers, minimalists, accessibility advocates, and anyone tired of screen glare and constant refresh flickers.