LG shows a second prototype of its “stretchable” screen. The screen measures 12 inches, but can be stretched to 18 inches.
Screen manufacturers have to be creative to be innovative these days. In front of a hundred or so South Korean academics, industry leaders and stakeholders, LG demonstrated a “stretchable” screen.
LG is not at its experimental stage with this: in 2022 it already showed a first prototype. However, the second prototype has a much higher elasticity than the first model.
Plasticine
The stretchable screen looks like it is made of rubber or plasticine: the 12-inch screen can be stretched to a size of 18 inches. LG proudly proclaims that with a stretchability of fifty percent, the screen is the most elastic screen of its kind. The higher stretchability allows for multiple display designs, according to the manufacturer.
To make the screen more stretchable, LG had to make some technological interventions. The manufacturer used a special silicon substrate used in contact lenses and developed a new wiring structure. The resolution of the prototype is 100 pixels per inch and supports the full RGB color spectrum. The use of micro-LED (40 μm) makes the screen more durable.
Whether we will ever see the elastic screen in commercial devices remains to be seen. LG is the driving force behind a South Korean research project that includes 19 other companies and research institutions. LG says this prototype is an important breakthrough for the research, but that does not mean the screen is yet mature enough to go into production.