Fancy a micro-LED display that could wrap around your skin as if it was some kind of futuristic, high-end hybrid of a TV and a slapband? With curved displays now well and truly creeping through the market, LG Display has taken a different approach to unconventional screens by creating what the company claims are the world’s first high-resolution stretchable display using free-form technology to extend, fold and twist without any distortion or damage.
The LG stretchable display, currently a prototype, follows a similar concept revealed by Samsung last year at the Global Tech Korea 2021 expo. While that one could stretch vertically to adapt 2D content to various surfaces, it seems LG has elevated the idea with a display that could theoretically attach to skin, clothing and furniture.
LG describes this as a stretchable display that has a consistency similar to that of a rubber band, using micro LEDs with a sub 40μm pixel pitch and a resolution of 100 ppi to bring content to life on numerous surfaces. The full-colour RGB pixels have been built into the same type of film substrate made of a special kind of silicon most typically used in contact lenses, which helps give it that rubber band stretch.
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Using the LG Display’s stretchable S-form spring wired system, the screen is able to change form while retaining durability and reliability, morphing from a 12-inch display to a 14-inch one.
The LG stretchable display is just another entry to appease the increasingly large demand for flexible display technology that has been on a bit of a commercial rollercoaster in the past few years. Already we’ve seen everything from impressive foldable smartphones to rotatable gaming monitors like the 55-inch Samsung Oddysey Ark. High-end company C-Seed also has a massive foldable TV that was released last year.
And yet, there’s not been a concept quite like this. In a recent press release, LG Display stated that “stretchable displays are not only thin and light but also can be attached to curved surfaces such as skin, clothing and furniture,” opening up a world of use cases that should benefit industries such as wearables, mobility, smart devices, gaming and fashion.
The tiny pixel pitch ensures that these light sources are squashed close together, translating to a better resolution that can match or surpass the resolution of existing monitors.
“We will successfully complete this project to enhance the competitiveness of Korean display technology while continuing to lead the industry’s paradigm shift,” stated Soo-young Yoon, Executive Vice President and CTO at LG Display.
It’s a “watch and wait” situation here. With the LG Stretchable Display being based on rudimentary technology, it could be years before we see this hit the commercial market. That being said, LG has already pushed quite far in the realm of flexible display technology and the results – primarily from both LG and Samsung – have been nothing short of impressive.
There’s no indication as to how much the LG stretchable display will cost when it hits the market but we’ll update this article when we know more.
