Visionect is taking digital signage to a whole new level: even in direct sunlight, the electronic paper signs feature great visibility, but still consume up to 99% less energy than LCD.

E-paper is set to soon "take off in a major way for a broad range of applications and as the ambitious e-ink projects from last year show, that day is not very far off. Take a look back at the year that catapulted electronic paper into the mainstream. From truckside displays to digital museum labels and smart urban furniture, e-paper was the technology on everyone's lips in 2016.

Simple is always best. Soofa, a spinoff of MIT, joined forces with Visionect to activate public spaces in Boston. The result is the Soofa Sign, a solar-powered bulletin board with an electronic paper screen to share information with the local community, contributing to the city's sustainability goals. All it takes to install this smart urban display are four bolts fixing the sign in place.

It was an exciting year for JOAN, the electronic paper room scheduling solution. Winner of the 2016 Red Dot Award for outstanding design and the CES 2016 Innovation Award for eco design, the display has become a staple in offices worldwide.

Museums have begun to change and evolve with the times, using technological advancements to create a personalized experience for visitors through real-time museum displays. 2016 saw the launch of the e-paper AMLABEL Digital Gallery Display, an editable in-gallery card, as well as other instances of using electronic ink in a museum setting.

The future of electronic paper may lie in signage, but this throwback to the tech's beginnings shows there will always be room for booklike gadgets also. Meet reMarkable, the 2016 tablet that can replace your notebooks, sketchbooks and printouts by offering paper-like reading, writing, and sketching with digital powers. Definitely something to write home about.