Fabrication of a twisting ball display having two or more different kinds of balls

A method of making a product comprising optically anisotropic spheroidal balls disposed in a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a receiving surface comprising a material in an adhesive state;
• depositing first and second sets of spheroidal balls on the receiving surface, each of the first and second sets comprising at least one ball,
• each ball of the first set having a first collection of physical characteristics,
• each ball of the second set having a second collection of physical characteristics, spheroidal balls of the second set thus being physically distinguishable from spheroidal balls of the first set,
• each ball of each set having an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field,
• the spheroidal balls thus deposited adhering to the receiving surface material in the adhesive state;
• depositing a material in a pourable state on the receiving surface and over the spheroidal balls adhering to the receiving surface material, thereby covering the spheroidal balls adhering to the receiving surface material and thus forming an uncured substrate material wherein the balls of the first and second sets are disposed, the uncured substrate material comprising the receiving surface material in the adhesive state and the material deposited in the pourable state;
• and
• curing at least a portion of the uncured substrate material to a nonadhesive, nonpourable state with the spheroidal balls of the first and second sets thus disposed therein, so as to form a substrate in which are disposed at least one spheroidal ball of the first set and at least one spheroidal ball of the second set.

A method comprising the steps of:

• providing a receiving surface comprising a material in an adhesive state;
• selectively depositing a set of spheroidal balls on the receiving surface, the set comprising at least one ball,
• each ball of the set having an optical anisotropy and an anisotropy for providing an electrical dipole moment, the electrical dipole moment rendering the ball electrically responsive such that when the ball is rotatably disposed in an electric field while the electrical dipole moment of the ball is provided, the ball tends to rotate to an orientation in which the electrical dipole moment aligns with the field,
• each ball of the set thus selectively deposited being deposited at one of a first plurality of locations on the receiving surface, substantially none of the spheroidal balls of the set thus deposited being deposited at any of a second plurality of locations on the receiving surface, the second set of locations thus being maintained substantially free of balls of the set thus deposited,
• the spheroidal balls thus selectively deposited adhering to the receiving surface material in the adhesive state;
• depositing a material in a pourable state on the receiving surface and over the spheroidal balls adhering to the receiving surface material, thereby covering the spheroidal balls adhering to the receiving surface material and thus forming an uncured substrate material wherein the balls of the set are disposed, the uncured substrate material comprising the receiving surface material in the adhesive state and the material deposited in the pourable state;
• and
• curing at least a portion of the uncured substrate material to a nonadhesive, nonpourable state with the spheroidal balls of the set thus disposed therein, thereby forming a substrate in which at least one spheroidal ball of the set is disposed,
• each spheroidal ball of the set thus disposed in the substrate being disposed in a vicinity of a location in the substrate corresponding to one of the first plurality of locations on the receiving surface,
• the substrate thus formed further including at least one location in which substantially no spheroidal balls of the set are disposed and corresponding to one of the second plurality of locations on the receiving surface.