JANUARY - MARCH - 20218 THE FUTURE IS FLEXIBLE AND SOFTBY DAN GAMOTA, VICE PRESIDENT, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY SERVICES, JABILFlexible display technology has been under development for a few decades as companies have long sought innovative ways to deliver larger screens with smaller form factors. Recent announcements from Samsung and LG are shining an increasingly bright spotlight on breakthroughs in the enabling technologies to realize high-resolution flexible displays.At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, LG introduced the 65-inch LG Signature OLED TV R with a screen that rolls up or down. Slated for sale sometime this year, the TV's screen quietly and quickly unfurls at the touch of a button and then just as discreetly rolls up when not in use.Samsung made a buzz at CES with its Galaxy Fold. Sporting the world's first 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display, it collapses into a 4.6-inch, pocketable format when closed. A marvel of display innovation, Samsung recently delayed the official launch of the Galaxy Foldamid questions about screen durability. Regardless of when this bendable, foldable smartphone hits store shelves, early adopters will be clamoring for the first entrant of a mobile device providing the ultimate visual experience in what will become a crowded field in years to come.ADVANCEMENTS IN SOFT MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERINGThe ability to leverage increasingly thinner yet durable multi-materials structures has enabled product designers and engineers to pursue the promise of flexible, foldable displays. A decade ago, this led to the development of wireless devices with "rollable" screens that opened and closed like a scroll as the mechanical properties of the soft materials used allowed opening and closing a million times without degradation. Unfortunately, these displays never caught on due to cost and consumer adoption risk as people didn't want to use two hands to read displays.As display technology evolved, so have advancements in soft materials science. Displays are getting thinner and more resilient to mechanical deformation due to the development of tougher, viscoelastic materials and novel, multi-materials structures, so they can bend more readily without breaking. The combination of flexible glass, polymers, metals and other soft materials opens the door to a diverse mix of applications.For example, there's a growing need for "one-time flex" materials that enable components and modules with integrated displays to bend to fit into specific product housing. Consumer appliances, retail and hospitality point-of-sale products, and automotive dashboards with gentle, aesthetically pleasing curves are ideally suited for these flexible displays.Equally important are materials that provide intrinsic mechanical flexibility, to enable the integration of displays in every surface that can be touched to deliver the ultimate interactivity experience. In the automotive sector, there are endless applications whereby drivers and passengers could take advantage of flexible, interactive screens to transmit and communicate all kinds of visual data and audio.Last, but certainly not least, are soft materials that are conducive to large, foldable screens, like the LG TV. The opportunity to transport large, lightweight and high-resolution displays that fold discreetly into tubes is useful for any application Dan GamotaIN MY OPINION
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