The Future is Flexible
Since the advent of digital technology, electronic displays have always been playing a key role in visually conveying information generated by machines. There are many widely-used types of displays, such as Light-emitting diode (LED) display and Liquid crystal (LCD) display. These displays are made into various sizes for different devices and uses, such as TVs, smartphones, watches, etc. We have already been very familiar with interacting with digital displays, but most of the displays we are using today are flat, rigid, and rectangular.
In recent decades, many desired innovations have taken place in display technology, and people started to expect digital displays to be more versatile than just flat panels. Displays that can be bent and shaped in any form are being strongly demanded. “The future is not flat, it is more likely curved and flexible. This is why flexible displays are needed” (Karlsson, 2017).
What is a flexible display?
A flexible display is an electronic visual output surface that is physically bendable. This kind of display offers many advantages over traditional display technology, including “ultra-thin, lightweight, bendable, portable, shatter-proof, unbreakable, and low energy” (Royole, 2021). So, for foldable devices, flexible displays are essential components. In recent years there has been a growing interest from numerous consumer electronics manufacturers to apply this display technology in e-readers, smartphones, and other consumer electronics.
By using OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology in organic compounds, the digital screen can become thin and flexible. “When electricity is passed through them they emit their own light, which means these screens do not require backlit lights for working” (Kumar, 2020). Because of these breakthrough technologies, the flexible display no longer needs a backlight source which is the main reason why the traditional LCD displays are heavy and thick. “OLED technology will dominate the flexible displays, offering unquestionable advantages over other common displays” (Roloye, 2021).
Although the OLED makes the flexible display possible, several major challenges exist that need to be addressed if flexible products are to be used on a larger scale. For example, the screen will get damaged over time with continuous folding and unfolding. Also, as the user has to interact with the screen, it will get damaged over a period of time. And since flexible displays require a lot of new materials and complex manufacturing processes, the cost of producing flexible displays is very high. In order to deal with these burdens, the efforts of materials science, electronic engineering, Internet of Things, product design, and other industries are crucial.
The future is “flexible”
As flexible display technology becomes more and more prevalent, many digital products today have been designed to be curved and rollable. For example, many smartphone vendors are currently offering phones with flexible displays that surround the edges of the device. The new form of these products allows them to perform their functions in innovative ways. “Flexible displays, when they hit the market, could provide endless possibilities for design and innovation” (Ahmad, 2018).
At the same time, being able to make the digital display physically flexible also brings potential aesthetic benefits. For example, in today’s cars, almost every surface is curved except for the integrated displays, so, “car designers are looking for non-flat and non-rectangular displays to enable their seamless integration into the vehicle interior” (Cain, 2021).
Through the development of flexible displays in recent years, scientists and engineers believe that it has huge market potential in the future. “The future of the flexible display market is extremely bright, provided the mentioned hurdles are overcome by tech companies. ” (Stiles, 2021). Samsung also promised to introduce rollable and stretchable OLED displays in the future, “imagine folding or rolling a 55-inch TV into something that will fit into your bag, or finally replacing pen and paper with a foldable tablet” (Warren,2018). It sounds unbelievable right now, but that might be because we are at the very beginning of our “flexible” future.
Conclusion
In sum, the flexible display is a revolutionary breakthrough. Without the restrictions of flatness and rigidness, flexible displays can be used in a variety of ways, from reinventing current electronic devices to innovating brand-new fancy products. There would be endless exciting opportunities around it! Flexible displays include various industrials, such as Internet of Things, electronic engineering, manufacturing, material science, and product design, etc. Therefore, the main stakeholders should be technology companies, manufacturers, research centers in different disciplines, product designers, and customers. Although there are still many challenges that hinder its large-scale use, the future of flexible displays looks very promising.
Flexible display is a showcase of digital information.
Flexible display makes cumbersome items portable.
Flexible display is customizable according to people’s needs and preferences.
Flexible display allows people to interact with the world.
Flexible display is a seamless partner for objects in any shape.
Flexible display is an eco-friendly lifestyle.
Flexible display is a disruptor to the traditional printing industry.
Flexible display brings intelligence to various objects and fabrics.
Flexible display is a chameleon when the physical environment changes.
Flexible display is the backbone of many future products.
