Researchers successfully make an OLED screen out of fabric

By Garrett Hulfish November 28, 2016

LG rollable OLED display flexible rollable — LG Display

We are still far from having truly wearable displays, but thanks to Korean researchers, that future isn’t as far off as we thought. The researchers have created the first OLEDs that are truly wearable.

According to Business Korea, two research teams from KAIST and Kolon Glotech have put their heads together and created an OLED technology that allows the displays to work on a textile substrate. The result is a screen that is much more flexible than competing technologies.

Flexible, foldable, and wearable displays have been developed with OLED before. Because OLEDs are self-illuminating displays, they can be formed into thin, flexible screens based on the plastic boards used in producing them. This material is a limiting factor, but so are the displays themselves. OLEDs are not known for their durability and are easily torn.

Simply putting displays on a piece of fabric is difficult. Typical fabrics are too rough and expand based on temperature. The technology is still too fragile. The researchers’ solution was to create something new. They put together a fabric that resembles a glass panel, yet retains the flexible nature of fabrics. The OLEDs were then fixed to this glass-like material.

KAIST and Kolon Glotech have high hopes for the future of fabric-based displays. “Textile OLEDs which are more flexible than plastic and have high device reliability are expected to contribute to the development of comfortable wearable displays,” said KAIST professor Choi Kyung-chul.

The fabric OLEDs that were developed had a lifespan greater than 1,000 hours. If they remained idle, they could last more than 3,500 hours. This doesn’t compare favorably to the displays we are used to, but it is a huge step in creating wearable displays. Hopefully, additional research will further refine the tech until we can truly wear displays woven into our clothes.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Garrett Hulfish

Contributor

Garrett is the kind of guy who tells you about all the tech you haven't heard of yet. He also knows too much about other…

Emerging Tech

Meet the game-changing pitching robot that can perfectly mimic any human throw

baseball hitter swings and misses

Who’s your favorite baseball pitcher? Shane McClanahan? Sandy Alcantara? Justin Verlander? Whoever you said, two of the top sports-tech companies in the U.S. -- Rapsodo and Trajekt Sports -- have teamed up to build a robot version of them, and the results are reportedly uncannily accurate.

Okay, so we’re not talking about walking-talking-pitching standalone robots, as great a sci-fi-tinged MLB ad as that would be. However, Rapsodo and Trajekt have combined their considerable powers to throw a slew of different technologies at the problem of building a machine that's able to accurately simulate the pitching style of whichever player you want to practice batting against -- and they may just have pulled it off, too.

Outdoors

The best portable power stations

EcoFlow DELTA 2 on table at campsite for quick charging.

Affordable and efficient portable power is a necessity these days, keeping our electronic devices operational while on the go. But there are literally dozens of options to choose from, making it abundantly difficult to decide which mobile charging solution is best for you. We've sorted through countless portable power options and came up with six of the best portable power stations to keep your smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other gadgets functioning while living off the grid.
The best overall: Jackery Explorer 1000

Jackery has been a mainstay in the portable power market for several years, and today, the company continues to set the standard. With three AC outlets, two USB-A, and two USB-C plugs, you'll have plenty of options for keeping your gadgets charged.

Emerging Tech

CES 2023: HD Hyundai’s Avikus is an A.I. for autonomous boat and marine navigation

Demonstration of NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

This content was produced in partnership with HD Hyundai.
Autonomous vehicle navigation technology is certainly nothing new and has been in the works for the better part of a decade at this point. But one of the most common forms we see and hear about is the type used to control steering in road-based vehicles. That's not the only place where technology can make a huge difference. Autonomous driving systems can offer incredible benefits to boats and marine vehicles, too, which is precisely why HD Hyundai has unveiled its Avikus AI technology -- for marine and watercraft vehicles.

More recently, HD Hyundai participated in the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, to demo its NeuBoat level 2 autonomous navigation system for recreational boats. The name mashes together the words "neuron" and "boat" and is quite fitting since the Avikus' A.I. navigation tech is a core component of the solution, it will handle self-recognition, real-time decisions, and controls when on the water. Of course, there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes with HD Hyundai's autonomous navigation solution, which we'll dive into below -- HD Hyundai will also be introducing more about the tech at CES 2023.