After foldable and rollable displays, LG Display shows off a 12-inch stretchable display panel- Technology News, Firstpost

FP StaffNov 09, 2022 15:20:36 IST

People who follow display technologies will know that the field is witnessing a ton of experimentation right now. Even though we have foldable devices, display manufacturers are working on making foldable devices even better. We also have some really great rollable displays and rollable TVs. But stretchable ones? Well, manufacturers like LG are making some seriously impressive strides in that as well.

LG Display demonstrated a 12-inch panel that can be stretched up to 14 inches and released back to 12-inch, without damaging it. 

This type of bendy, stretchy display or “free-form” display as LG is calling it, can be used in clothing and furniture as it can easily conform to complex shapes and the ability to stretch will make it more comfortable to wear or sit on.  

LG Display foresees uses in various industries including “fashion, wearables, mobility and gaming”. It can even find a place in the automobile and aircraft industry as well.  

The display is of pretty high quality as far as prototype panels go. At 100ppi, it has a pixel density similar to that of a 40” 4K TV and has RGB-colour capabilities. The display is built on a special silicon substrate that is also used for contact lenses. It features micro-LEDs which are smaller than 40 micrometres that are connected via S-shaped springs instead of straight wires so that they can stretch about 20 per cent without any damage or breakage.

We’ve seen stretchable display prototypes before. There was one from Royole from last year, which could stretch to about 30 per cent could have a theoretical pixel density of 120ppi. However, the demo unit that was showcased was a small 2.7-inch panel with a resolution of 96X60 pixels.

Image Credit: Royole

A few years before that, in 2017, Samsung also showcased a stretchable display, though that one was mostly able to survive deformation, or basic pressing hard down on the flexible display, rather than stretch to a new size.