The project to create a safe, extendable and embossed screen has been going on for more than five years and has involved different companies, universities and industries in South Korea. Now LG has presented it. Extendable screens (different from roll-up screens) are considered the latest free-form screen technology because can be freely transformed into any shapeincluding stretching, bending and twisting them.
The new prototype developed by LG presents a 12-inch screen that extends up to 18 incheswhile offering high resolution of 100 ppi (pixels per inch) and full red, green and blue (RGB) color.
Compared to the first extendable screen prototype presented in 2022, the maximum elongation rate of the new panel has more than doubled, going from 20% to 50%. This Improved stretchability allows for various design possibilities of screens, which increases the potential competitiveness of the technology when commercialized for different sectors.
By applying a series of new technologies, such as improving the properties of a special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses and the development of a new wiring design structure, LG improved the stretchability and flexibility of the panel, exceeding the original national project target of 20% elongation.
Additionally, by using a micro-LED light source of up to 40 μm (micrometers), the reinforced durability of the new prototype means that can be stretched repeatedly more than 10,000 timesmaintaining sharp image quality even in extreme environments, such as exposure to low or high temperatures and external shocks.
Stretchable screens are not only thin and lightweight, but they can also adhere to surfaces with irregular curves, such as clothing and skin. They are expected to be widely applied in various industries, from fashion and wearables to mobility.
The company presented numerous concepts for the application of stretchable displays, including an automotive panel that stretches to a convex shape and can be operated by hand, as well as a portable screen that attaches to firefighters’ uniforms and that provides information in real time.
But this ability is not the only one that draws attention: the screen is also capable of producing a relief. A kind of protuberance that can be located where the image indicates it, opening the door to technologies that were hitherto impossible, such as 3D maps, “appearance and disappearance” of physical buttonsin medical research, education, sports or video games. The options are endless and will undoubtedly open the door to a new range of applications that have not yet been developed. Hopefully it will be on the market in a few years.