Army Tests Wrist-Mounted PHOLED Displays

Universal Display Corp. has delivered eight wrist-mounted phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) displays built on thin flexible metal foil to the US Army Communication Electronics Research and Development Engineering Center (CERDEC) and to Project Director–Common Hardware Systems (PD-CHS).

The devices were presented to Raymond Schulze, technical leader of CERDEC, and to representatives of PD-CHS for evaluation and testing. They were showcased at the Army’s C4ISR On-the-Move testing environment last month at Fort Dix, where they received positive feedback by senior leaders who make critical research, development and acquisition investment decisions.

The prototypes were designed and built as part of a US Department of Defense (DoD) program to develop a thin, lightweight and ruggedized communications device. During simulated exercises at Fort Dix, they were shown depicting a number of sources of information, including a real-time unmanned air vehicle (UAV) video feed and various other images received through computers running different applications. The devices have the potential to provide soldiers with advantages in the field that could mitigate risk and improve operational performance.

The eight units each contain a 4.3-in. quarter video graphics array full-color, full-motion active-matrix organic LED display using amorphous-silicon (a-Si) TFT backplanes designed and fabricated on thin metallic foil by LG Display Systems of Alpharetta, Ga. The front planes were built on top by Universal Display using its high-efficiency, full-color PHOLED technology and materials. The technology enables the displays to consume less power than comparable active-matrix liquid crystal displays, an extremely important feature to lighten the load of electrical power requirements. The units offer advanced communications features, all integrated into a housing that comfortably fits around a soldier’s wrist.

“L-3 Display Systems is pleased to continue our long-standing collaboration with Universal Display Corporation to bring this innovative technology to the warfighter,” said David Huffman, chief scientist for L-3 Display Systems. “These devices will increase the user’s situational awareness, while reducing the power and weight required by current display technologies.”

Flexible display technology is considered potentially disruptive for the information content and communications markets. Flexible OLEDs may enable a variety of thinner, lighter-weight, more rugged products and lead to a host of novel product designs using the conformable and flexible features that are unique to this technology.

For more information, visit: www.universaldisplay.com