LG Demos Stretchable Display Prototype That Could Lead To Hi-Rez Dynamic Fabric And Clothing
November 13, 2024 by Dave Haynes
When the idea of wearables with high resolution displays comes up, it is almost always about things like smart watches. But LG Display recently showed in Korea a stretchable display that could be used as a fabric substitute for things like first responder jackets.
Using 40 micrometer (and therefore “true”) microLEDs, a rectangular 12-inch display can be stretched to 18-inches without destroying the thing. It has a 100 pixels resolution, and supports full RGB color. LG showed a stretchable prototype a couple of years ago, but this new version boosts the “stretchability” from 20% to 50%.
The material the microLEDs sit on is a special silicon substrate, first used for contact lenses. It can handle, researchers, say 10,000 or more stretches and twists without visible damage.
The stretchable display initiative involves some 20 companies in South Korea, and has the backing of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy.
While some designer will undoubtedly see this as a new kind of fashion bling for wildly-priced jackets and bags, the more worthwhile use-case might be situational awareness for people like firefighters – who could have screens integrated into protective gear.
LG also sees applications like automotive cabin controls.
This is probably many years off from commercialization, but super-interesting nonetheless.
From PR:
LG Display was selected as the lead company for the national project to develop Stretchable displays in 2020 and since then has been conducting joint R&D with 19 domestic industry and research institutes. It is one of the major tasks of a wider project to develop core technologies for next-generation displays promoted by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) along with the Korea Planning & Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology.
By successfully completing the project, LG Display has not only secured core technologies that can lead the next-generation display market but also contributed to localizing materials, components, and equipment as well as building an R&D infrastructure.
That’s pretty cool.
Wow. LG seems to be leader in innovation.