Future Displays: AUO Shows High-Rez Transparent MicroLED At CES

January 10, 2023 by Dave Haynes

MicroLED displays that are genuinely that technology – and not the almost microLED video walls marketed by display manufacturers – are starting to get demonstrated at consumer-focused trade shows like CES in Las Vegas, and the potential is exciting.

As you can see in the main photo, this is an AUO display shown at the just-ended CES trade show in Las Vegas that could be used on glass/transparent surfaces. What’s interesting to me is the smartphone-like granularity of the visuals. There are other transparent display products out there – from OLED to LED on film – but nothing, I think, with this resolution and brightness properties.

Transparent OLED is high-resolution but won’t do well in direct sunlight or bright rooms, while LED on film and in glass loses transparency as pixel pitches get tighter (so they tend to be coarse/lower rez).

Says Taiwan-based AUO in PR:

As technological advancements boom in transportation technology, in-vehicle experience and digitalization of cockpits for interactive infotainment become crucial. Displays can establish connections between users and the vehicle. AUO Micro LED displays feature high brightness, high contrast, wide color gamut, and fast response time and is highly reliable; it overcomes visual imaging effects of ambient light and delivers precision in displaying driving information. In addition, Micro LEDs are energy efficient and have long servicing life cycles, meeting the demanding standards of automotive regulations. Moreover, from innovating excellence, AUO constantly progresses in developing comfortable and secure driving environments through advanced display technology in applications of interactive immersivity.

AUO Micro LED transparent displays with high brightness and high transparency can be applicable for windshields and side windows of vehicles; the transparent display delivers exceptional display performance in practical applications and is implemented into smart windows on vessels for local tourism and cuisine introductions through integrated software, allowing tourists to enjoy immersive experiences. LED displays can be seamlessly tiled to provide an optimal viewing experience in all types of spaces, providing an abundance of infotainment content through cutting-edge visual presentation.

AUO Micro LED immersive Cockpit Display solution offers unique texture through high transmittance optical film, making displays flawlessly fit into the cockpit trimming. In particular, 14.6-inch Rollable Micro LED display panel features 2K resolution with 202ppi pixel density, 40mm in curvature radius rollable display, suitable for fixed storage and creating maximum special usage of in-car cockpit capacity. Furthermore, a stretchable touch screen Micro LED panel with the ultra-high resolution, 141ppi pixel density can be the cutting-edge smart knob, released or stored upon users’ control.

We’re probably two-three or more years away from microLED being widely available and something akin to mainstreamed, even more. Production facilities are just spinning up. But the prospect is lower manufacturing costs (and therefore end-user pricing), super-brightness, display monitor resolutions and long operating lives.

I’ve seen true microLED displays at display nerd trade shows like Touch Taiwan and SID’s Display Week, and I see it as a sign of maturation and progress that manufacturers are now doing demos at high profile consumer-centric events like CES – even if they’re products that (like many at CES) may never be available commercially.