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Flexible Display Prototype  (Source: HP)
HP and Arizona State have announced the first flexible display prototype

Lots of research time, effort and money is going into products that could make revolutionary changes in the electronic products in use around the world. So many products today take advantage of displays from cell phones and computers to refrigerators and even outdoor grills that the market for displays is large and varied.

HP and Arizona State University have teamed up to develop a flexible display at the Flexible Display Center (FDC) at the university. Today the FDC announced that it has developed the first prototype of an affordable, flexible electronic display.

The flexible display is paper-like, but constructed totally out of plastic. The plastic construction allows the display to be easily portable and consume less power than typical displays available today. Potential uses for the new flexible display according to the FDC are in electronic paper and digital signage.

The technology could also make its way into future electronic devices like smartphones and notebook computers. The displays are claimed to be unbreakable and use up to 90% less materials by volume when compared to traditional LCD displays.

HP and the FDC created the flexible displays by using self-aligned imprint lithography (SAIL) technology that was invented by HP Labs. HP says SAIL technology is considered self aligned because the pattering information is imprinted on the substrate in a way that perfect alignment is maintained regardless of distortion.

Displays built using SAIL technology can be fabricated on thin film transistors on flexible plastic material in a roll-to-roll manufacturing process. This allows for continuous manufacturing rather than batch manufacturing used to create current displays.

HP Labs' Carl Taussig said in a statement, "The display HP has created with the FDC proves the technology and demonstrates the remarkable innovation we’re bringing to the rapidly growing display market. In addition to providing a lower-cost process, SAIL technology represents a more sustainable, environmentally sensitive approach to producing electronic displays."


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seriously though
By MadMan007 on 12/8/2008 1:51:44 PM , Rating: 2
HP Labs has been making some impressive stuff, but will it ever see the light of day in real products or this this another '3-5 years product' that never makes it out of the lab?

I also wonder a bit about HP doing this type of research. They aren't a manufacturing company like Intel afaik so do they do these things then expect to contract out production or just try to license it?




RE: seriously though
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 12/8/2008 1:56:37 PM , Rating: 2
Typcially they license the IP to a company for use.


RE: seriously though
By Operandi on 12/8/2008 2:03:59 PM , Rating: 3
Thats how it works a lot of the time.

Either way its good to see this kind of development coming from a US lab, a worthy excuse to make us of the HP girl in my opinion.


RE: seriously though
By FITCamaro on 12/8/2008 3:47:53 PM , Rating: 5
Until the Chinese steal it.


RE: seriously though
By wordsworm on 12/9/08, Rating: 0
RE: seriously though
By FrankoBeans on 12/9/2008 11:59:54 AM , Rating: 2
1. I think most of that Chinese technology was obtained before USA existed.
2. Stealing land from owners who cannot defend it is how nearly all countries were formed. USA is just another case where traditional ways aren't "best".
3. I wouldn't ask a thief to return intellectual property, but that doesn't mean he's not a thief. As you suggested, every company or country steals technology. Right or wrong? Difficult question, but even in baseball they call it stealing.


RE: seriously though
By Avitar on 12/9/2008 12:54:04 PM , Rating: 2
We should keep in mind that the the Indians died of plagues brought by Spanish explores. A single generation after the first Spanish expeditians passed through the south eastern north america there was not a village with more than three thousand population left. Those indianas that are left were the equivalent of motorcycle gangs.
Yes we moved into the vacant land and the Hispanics object after they went to trouble of eradicating all those natives. South America still has a large civilization that was on the northern Bazil boarder that no one has moved into.


RE: seriously though
By FITCamaro on 12/9/2008 3:55:12 PM , Rating: 2
Since you think you're so enlightened, you give up your home to Native Americans first.

And FYI, I'm part Native American. My aunt is currently researching and trying to find the single document remaining to prove our ancestry. We know the person's name, just need to prove the relationship.

Gunpowder was obtained through trade. Other cultures than the Chinese had steel before China did. The compass' invention is contested. And ceramics have been used for millenia by more than just the Chinese.

My comment was partly a joke. It is a fact though that the Chinese have stolen untold numbers of US military secrets.


RE: seriously though
By foolsgambit11 on 12/8/2008 6:35:24 PM , Rating: 2
Well, it's a 'printing' technique that HP contributes to this, so I'd say it's definitely in keeping with their business model. But it's true, it is a quantum leap in complexity above what they currently put out - that's why they have partners in this project.

On a side note, why does 'quantum leap' mean a large jump? I'd think anything 'quantum' would be really small.


RE: seriously though
By MadMan007 on 12/8/2008 7:44:58 PM , Rating: 2
Quantum in this saying doesn't mean small which is associated with the physics usage, here it means 'sudden and significant' (dictionary.com yay)


RE: seriously though
By derwin on 12/8/2008 8:28:55 PM , Rating: 4
What it actually means (in QM) is a particle passed through something that it (conceivably) should not have been able to - it "leaps" through the boundary. Hence the term being used to say the leap was so far ahead or so amazing that it must have made that jump quantum style.


RE: seriously though
By foolsgambit11 on 12/9/2008 1:29:39 PM , Rating: 2
I like your reply best. Not relying on a dictionary (which includes a definition only because it is how the word is used, not why), but explaining why the term was adopted in the first place. Since I can't rate you up (already posted original question), I give you this kudos reply. It all makes sense to me now.


RE: seriously though
By pgcole on 12/9/2008 12:03:32 AM , Rating: 2
hmmm, that is a good point. also, i imagine on the sub-atomic particle size, to go from one quantum state to another would be huge. Imagine electrons in a general field being excited to the outer shells of an atom. Those would probably be large distances to the waif of energy that is an electron.


RE: seriously though
By rudolphna on 12/8/2008 7:22:05 PM , Rating: 2
yeah theyve come out with good stuff. First the Memsistor, now this. Way to go HP.


360 degree TV
By SpaceJumper on 12/8/2008 3:16:57 PM , Rating: 2
It will be very cool if they can put together a surround HD TV with true surround sound system. Movies will never be the same again.




RE: 360 degree TV
By FITCamaro on 12/8/2008 3:52:18 PM , Rating: 2
What would be the point of a 360 degree TV when you can't see behind you?


RE: 360 degree TV
By zebrax2 on 12/8/2008 5:07:06 PM , Rating: 2
imagine playing a first person shooting game where to look around you actually need to well look around although that would look really stupid


RE: 360 degree TV
By Murloc on 12/8/2008 5:24:46 PM , Rating: 2
that would suck, how would you shoot? with a real gun? and if you have to jump?


RE: 360 degree TV
By murphyslabrat on 12/8/2008 6:03:00 PM , Rating: 2
more importantly, your FPS's would tank, as you would be processing an immense image.


RE: 360 degree TV
By rudolphna on 12/8/2008 7:24:53 PM , Rating: 2
Easy, Dual Intel Core 6 Octa Core Processors, 64GB DDR5-5200, And Quad Crossfire AMD Radeon SHD 7970 graphics cards with 4GB of GDDR8 per card, on PCI Express 4.0 Interface.


RE: 360 degree TV
By SpaceJumper on 12/9/2008 10:26:02 AM , Rating: 2
Imagine a tank is behind you and trying to shoot a tank in front of you, when the cannon fires that will put you in the center of the conflict, and along with the 360 surround sound. Would it be more real than the regular HD TV?


cheap and flexible...
By MadMan007 on 12/8/2008 1:48:02 PM , Rating: 2
"Cheap and flexible"? *looks at the girlie in the picture*...yea I'll take one.




RE: cheap and flexible...
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 12/8/08, Rating: 0
RE: cheap and flexible...
By therealnickdanger on 12/8/2008 2:59:56 PM , Rating: 3
I think it's coming at about the right time. As we move more into touch-driven software, durable, flexible displays will be very useful. I could see tactile feedback being much easier to implement on a flexible display than a hard surfaced display.


RE: cheap and flexible...
By foolsgambit11 on 12/8/2008 6:40:47 PM , Rating: 2
Back on the picture, I mean, the picture of the new product, not the girl, why don't they release pictures that show the product's true capabilities, rather than one that makes it look cool? I mean, with the F-stop setting they used, almost none of the screen is in focus. How can you tell how good the screen is if it's all blurry? (Although, admittedly, at least it does show that it can bend.)

I'd guess they're still not where they'd like to be with the resolution, color range, and/or contrast (Or would contrast be meaningless on a non-lit screen?)


RE: cheap and flexible...
By murphyslabrat on 12/8/2008 1:57:14 PM , Rating: 2
I think the readers on this site would be more interested in the pic below that, and to the right...just a hunch. *_^


Huh? What about OLED?
By Cobra Commander on 12/8/2008 2:18:29 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
HP and Arizona State have announced the first flexible display prototype


Hello, OLED?!




RE: Huh? What about OLED?
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 12/8/2008 4:22:47 PM , Rating: 2
OLED isn't a flexible display technology. It can be made flexible when coupled with extremely thin glass, but OLED by itself is not. Comparing Apples and Oranges my friend.


RE: Huh? What about OLED?
By Rodinx on 12/8/2008 4:51:34 PM , Rating: 3
This company has been making FOLED's ( flexible OLED's) for some time:

http://www.universaldisplay.com/default.asp?conten...


RE: Huh? What about OLED?
By PedroDaGr8 on 12/8/2008 9:25:38 PM , Rating: 2
Having done research in the past on polysubstitued acenes for use as red emitters in OLEDs (which by the way are really cool because they are deep navy blue but glow red), I agree that is not a valid comparison. It is like saying Plasma TV's and CRTs are the same because they both use phosphors. OLEDs are just the emissive material, the rest is the substrate. This is work on the substrate and getting it to behave well with bending and flexing, cheaply to boot


Really Cool!
By Headfoot on 12/8/2008 2:55:39 PM , Rating: 2
This would have great applications in making very functional HUD's for military, police or fireman. We've seen Augmented Reality style technology in sci-fi all the time, but it really would be useful.

For example, a fireman could have this cheap display put out the output of one of those heartbeat-detecting gadgets.

A soldier could have a little IR camera on top of his helmet and have it overlay that directly over what he sees, essentially giving him IR in addition to not losing the benfits of regular vision (color etc). Also this would kick ass for Friend or Foe indication systems on the ground.

Got a little carried away, but this is cool stuff!




RE: Really Cool!
By FITCamaro on 12/8/2008 3:50:46 PM , Rating: 2
The soldier information overlay probably isn't far off. Believe they're working on that for future combat systems. It would also be beneficial for cockpit displays. Instead of projecting information on the cockpit, they could just have a transparent display on the glass itself. Of course the F35 will have the pilot wearing a helmet mounted display.


RE: Really Cool!
By Raidin on 12/9/2008 12:41:11 PM , Rating: 2
One of the best ideas, something I've dreamed about, is replacing the transparent plastic shield on helmets with a display that conforms to that shape, something this display technology could do.

Other than seeing soldiers wearing helmets like those, imagine motorcycle riders with the full helmet seeing all the data on their bike right there infront of them at the bottom corners of the helmet shield. Speed, revs, gear, you could even mount cameras at the sides looking back and add 2 small rear view screens on the display, so the rider never has to take his eyes off the road.

You could even incorporate 1 or 2 buttons on the handlebars for basic functionality, like a bluetooth cell phone informing you that you have a phone call, and seeing it on the helmet visor, with the caller ID, and having the option to send to voicemail directly. Or swapping to a real-time traffic or navigation display with a press of a button.

That will be the day I buy a V-Rod =P


not oled
By codeThug on 12/8/2008 3:19:32 PM , Rating: 2
Ok, so it still requires a backlight. Isn't that where the bulk of the power consumption is used? This product is still cool, but I think the "reduced energy" issue is a bit weak.




RE: not oled
By MadMan007 on 12/8/2008 5:07:46 PM , Rating: 2
Perhaps they don't need backlight that are as powerful?


RE: not oled
By BadAcid on 12/8/2008 5:23:32 PM , Rating: 2
The sun - America's most economical backlight.


Arizona 125+
By austinag on 12/8/2008 2:39:47 PM , Rating: 3
What they failed to mention is that this is actually just a regular display after being exposed to the Arizona summer heat. :)




RE: Arizona 125+
By Motoman on 12/8/2008 2:52:43 PM , Rating: 2
Thank you, Salvador Dali!


Car dashboard replacement.
By scrapsma54 on 12/8/2008 5:24:38 PM , Rating: 2
This would be an awesome way to integrate the car dash board into the windshield, or at least just use in place of the dashboard. So many possibilities with this.




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