LG's new stretchable display boasts 50 percent elongation

Last month, a patent hinted that LG Electronics is still experimenting with rollable smartphones and might make a comeback to the smartphone market soon. Now, the company’s display technology division, LG Display, has unveiled the world’s first stretchable display that expands by 50 percent.

LG Display unveiled the world’s first stretchable display that has 50% stretchability

LG Display showcased a new stretchable screen prototype at the LG Science Park in Seoul as part of the Stretchable display national project commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2020. The new stretchable display prototype has a 12-inch screen with a 100-pixel-per-inch resolution and full RGB color.

What’s interesting is that this display can be expanded to 18 inches when you pull it. In the announcement blog, LG Display mentioned the stretchable display has a “special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses.” The company further added that it achieved “stretchability and flexibility” by improving its properties.

There’s a new wiring design and a micro-LED light source “with a pixel pitch of less than 40 micrometers.” This allows users to stretch the screen over 10,000 times without affecting the image quality. Stretchable displays are considered as next-generation displays, thanks to their free-form factor which ensures a wide range of applications.

The new display opens doors for numerous applications

LG Display even showcased numerous concepts of using the stretchable display at the event. One such application the company mentioned was sewing or attaching the display directly to firefighter uniforms. The company mentioned that it can be handy to relay real-time information.

To catch you up, the company showcased a similar kind of display in 2022. However, that display only expanded to 14 inches from 12 inches amounting to 20% stretchability. In short, the company has beaten its previous record with the latest stretchable display.

Since you can stretch, fold, and twist the new display, it could open doors to profit for the company. Worth noting that the completion of the project has helped LG Display secure core technologies that will help it lead the next-generation display market.

A part of the announcement post also has an official statement from Soo-young Yoon, CTO and Executive VP of LG Display. It reads, “We will continue to build a sustainable future display ecosystem through close cooperation between South Korean industry, academia, and research stakeholders.”