LG Display has developed a 12-inch stretchable display that can be extended in size to 14 inches, the company announced. These displays are meant to be used in the future in materials with irregular surfaces like clothes and wearables, using them to display messages on the uniforms of first responders, for example.
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LG Display calls them free-form displays, and they can be pulled, bent and twisted. This is a step further than our current displays on foldables which can only be folded and bent. Stretching a display opens up new use cases, as well as many new challenges. How will the software adjust? Will there be tearing in picture quality? This remains to be seen.
To make the display stretchy, LG Display built the base substrate material from a silicon similar to that used in contact lenses. It also micro-LEDs smaller than 40-micrometers for the light source, allowing for high resolution and durability. And finally, the company used circuits shaped like springs to accommodate bending and folding.
“The stretchable display’s revolutionary technology offers next-level versatility for various daily scenarios,” LG Display said. “Easily attachable to curved surfaces such as skin, clothing, furniture, automobiles and aircraft, this unique innovation expands the potential of the display in various industries including fashion, wearables, mobility and gaming.”
