In the smartphone industry, foldable screens are growing in popularity, but stretchy displays, a related technology, are also on the rise. In a demonstration, LG Display showed how a 12″ display could be expanded to 14″ and then compressed back to 12″ without suffering any damage.
LG display specifications
It can readily adjust to complex shapes and its ability to stretch will make it more pleasant to wear. LG refers to this type of flexible display as “free-form,” and it can be utilized in apparel and furnishings (or sit on – its construction is quite durable).
Uses in “fashion, wearables, mobility, and gaming,” among other sectors, are anticipated by LG Display.
Additionally, it can find use in the manufacturing of cars and airplanes.
The display is quite impressive for a prototype screen; at 100ppi, it has a pixel density comparable to a 40″ 4K TV. Additionally, it is capable of RGB full-color. On a unique silicon substrate that is also used to make contact lenses, the display is constructed. With S-shaped springs in place of straight wires, it has micro-LEDs (less than 40 m in size) that can stretch 20% without breaking.
We had already seen stretchable display prototypes, such as this one from Royole from the previous year. The demo device had a modest 2.7″ panel with 96 x 60px resolution, but the manufacturer claims that it could stretch 30% and reach 120ppi. In 2017, Samsung demonstrated a stretchy display, however, it could only stretch to a new size of around half an inch for the 9.1″ panel and was primarily capable of withstanding deformation (such as from pressing hard on the flexible display).