FlexEnable has unveiled its first flexible display which can be worn on your wrist. The brand’s flexible 0.3mm-thick organic LCD (OLCD) display has been incorporated into a prototype smartwatch, and is being showcased at this year’s MWC in Barcelona.
smartwatch prototype from FlexEnable utilises plastic transistors to achieve its flexibility, creating what the brand calls OLCD (organic liquid crystal display) screens. As per the vendor, these can achieve the same resolutions as regular LCD using the same amount of power, so they are power saving display units. The transistors in these displays can be wrapped around pretty much anything. They have uses outside of the display tech as well.
In addition to the flexible screen, FlexEnable also showcased thin flexible fingerprint sensors, which could be wrapped around a door handle to add security with more convenience.
In addition to standard smartwatch interface, the OLCD can also run vivid colour and smooth video content – a feature that brings vastly more utility because of the large area. This product concept demonstrates that body conformal displays offer the potential to significantly increase the viewing area of wearable devices without compromising user comfort and aesthetics.
The 4.7” OLCD is driven by FlexEnable’s groundbreaking flexible transistor technology, which has been used to develop glass-free, flexible and unbreakable displays, and is particularly applicable in the mobile, wearable and automotive industries.
Chuck Milligan, CEO of FlexEnable, said: “The market for wearable devices, and the applications enabled by these devices, is growing fast. However, form-factor constraints and rigidness of components, particularly the display, present challenges for wearables that limit design options and utility.
“Flexible displays are driving a paradigm shift enabling greater levels of innovation in wearable applications. The ability to bend and form ultra-thin, unbreakable displays and sensors to any and every surface gives our partners the freedom to design game-changing products which have been impossible until today.”
FlexEnable is in talks with unnamed hardware partners to bring the technology in consumer market. As per FlexEnable’s Paul Can, we will see full-fledged wristbands with the company’s flexible display tech on the market in around 18 months.
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