Rainbow Technology proposes 5 GB paper-based storage device

Bob Russell · 09-23-2006, 11:01 AM

Storing 5GB on a small piece of paper not only sounds like technology in reverse, but it sounds pretty hard to believe. But Sainul, a student at MES Engineering College in India, has developed a technique that he believes will not only do that, but can become the base technology for a practical and reduced cost banks of data.

"Sainul who has just turned 24, says, instead of using zeroes and ones for computing, he has used geometric shapes like circles, squares and triangles for computing which combine with various colours and preserve the data in images. An RVD therefore looks like a print-out of the modern art.

"In a demo at his college laboratory, this author could see text typed on 432 pages of foolscap paper being stored in a four square inch paper. The author was even shown a 45-second video clip of a Malayalam film stored on an ordinary paper piece. Sainul was guided by Prof. Hyderali, head of the MCA Department of the College in all these projects."

Huge data banks based using this paper technology could hold up to capacities of almost 125 Peta Bytes. In the nearer future, CDs and DVDs could (for some applications) be replaced by an RVD (Rainbow Versatile Disc), which would have capacities of between 90 and 450 GB.

It's the longest of long shots, but I suppose this is one rainbow that really could have a pot of gold at the end of it.

Via Deccan Herald

Update... That original link seems to be dead, but here are some more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Storage
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&sect...18&m=11&y=2006
http://www.techworld.com/storage/new...24&pagtype=all
http://storagemojo.com/2006/11/27/in...f-the-rainbow/
http://dd.dynamicdiagrams.com/?p=228

yvanleterrible · 09-23-2006, 11:44 AM

Truly amazing concept!!!

CommanderROR · 09-23-2006, 05:37 PM

sounds cool...how do we put DRM on this???

^^

now...seriously...we've been hearing stuff like this (storing Gigs on cellotape...) for ages, but so far nothing has happened...

CommanderROR · 09-23-2006, 05:44 PM

OK...I just read through the attached article...WOW...I really hope the CD/DVD industry doesn't eat this guy before he can sell anything...if it works as advertised, it could mean a lot of progress for mobile media storage...imagine a sim-card sized 5GB paper-card containing all the books in your local library...^^

Maybe the iRex folks could make a "Rainbow-reading device" as addon for the Iliad...:-)

yvanleterrible · 09-24-2006, 10:29 AM

The real genius of this is that paper support, in many ways, is still superior to e-support. It has a proven track record of durability. CDs have been known, in humid tropical countries, to deteriorate in less than 5 years. Magnetic support? We all know what happens to that. SDs, unless locked, could last but nothing has been released about durability. Maybe ROM support media on chips?

Imagine that, your whole e-library on a single piece of paper!!!

The Achille's heel I see to this concept is still the reliance on computers and scanners.
The companies that design and build those will never settle back on design. As long as a company has to follow economy and market, it will be required to grow, and these necessities will dictate obsolescence of hardware.

But there are ways around this, "IF" this invention is nurtured by responsible entities.

Cheers to Mr. Sainul !!!

09-23-2006, 11:01 AM	#1
Bob Russell MobileRead Editor Posts: 5,083 Karma: 25827 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad, PRS500, Treo 700p, Dell x50v & Mini9, Lenovo X61t	Rainbow Technology proposes 5 GB paper-based storage device Storing 5GB on a small piece of paper not only sounds like technology in reverse, but it sounds pretty hard to believe. But Sainul, a student at MES Engineering College in India, has developed a technique that he believes will not only do that, but can become the base technology for a practical and reduced cost banks of data. "Sainul who has just turned 24, says, instead of using zeroes and ones for computing, he has used geometric shapes like circles, squares and triangles for computing which combine with various colours and preserve the data in images. An RVD therefore looks like a print-out of the modern art. "In a demo at his college laboratory, this author could see text typed on 432 pages of foolscap paper being stored in a four square inch paper. The author was even shown a 45-second video clip of a Malayalam film stored on an ordinary paper piece. Sainul was guided by Prof. Hyderali, head of the MCA Department of the College in all these projects." Huge data banks based using this paper technology could hold up to capacities of almost 125 Peta Bytes. In the nearer future, CDs and DVDs could (for some applications) be replaced by an RVD (Rainbow Versatile Disc), which would have capacities of between 90 and 450 GB. It's the longest of long shots, but I suppose this is one rainbow that really could have a pot of gold at the end of it. Via Deccan Herald Update... That original link seems to be dead, but here are some more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Storage http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4&sect...18&m=11&y=2006 http://www.techworld.com/storage/new...24&pagtype=all http://storagemojo.com/2006/11/27/in...f-the-rainbow/ http://dd.dynamicdiagrams.com/?p=228

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09-23-2006, 11:44 AM	#2
yvanleterrible When books can fly! Posts: 8,170 Karma: 108374 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Paper	Truly amazing concept!!!

09-23-2006, 05:37 PM	#3
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,011 Karma: 4914 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	sounds cool...how do we put DRM on this??? ^^ now...seriously...we've been hearing stuff like this (storing Gigs on cellotape...) for ages, but so far nothing has happened...

09-23-2006, 05:44 PM	#4
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,011 Karma: 4914 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	OK...I just read through the attached article...WOW...I really hope the CD/DVD industry doesn't eat this guy before he can sell anything...if it works as advertised, it could mean a lot of progress for mobile media storage...imagine a sim-card sized 5GB paper-card containing all the books in your local library...^^ Maybe the iRex folks could make a "Rainbow-reading device" as addon for the Iliad...:-)

09-24-2006, 10:29 AM	#5
yvanleterrible When books can fly! Posts: 8,170 Karma: 108374 Join Date: May 2006 Device: Paper	The real genius of this is that paper support, in many ways, is still superior to e-support. It has a proven track record of durability. CDs have been known, in humid tropical countries, to deteriorate in less than 5 years. Magnetic support? We all know what happens to that. SDs, unless locked, could last but nothing has been released about durability. Maybe ROM support media on chips? Imagine that, your whole e-library on a single piece of paper!!! The Achille's heel I see to this concept is still the reliance on computers and scanners. The companies that design and build those will never settle back on design. As long as a company has to follow economy and market, it will be required to grow, and these necessities will dictate obsolescence of hardware. But there are ways around this, "IF" this invention is nurtured by responsible entities. Cheers to Mr. Sainul !!!


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