Shaped Displays, Wearables Leave Lasting Impressions from Display Week 2015

Michael A. Detarando, Incom Inc., mad@incomusa.com

If Display Week 2015 (May 31 to June 5) in San Jose reiterated any display trend, it’s that the industry is moving much faster than it used to. It seems global display companies are finding themselves on more of a quarterly product release schedule, rather than a traditional annual announcement approach.

To what end the field is racing is yet to be seen, but Display Week offered many inside looks at technologies capturing commercial and consumer attention. Contoured, interactive displays, and wearables, seemed to garner the most attention.

Interactive displays reshape our experience

Viewing depth, clarity and brilliance. What’s not to like about the promise of curved, contoured, custom displays? Much of the success is due to advanced optical technology that reduces reflected ambient light, increases battery power, and boosts image and color quality. Going a step further to turn a reshaped display into an interactive knob or button elevates functionality, performance and market possibilities.

A Titan gaming console from Gamesman Ltd., which features fused fiber optics from Incom. Courtesy of Incom.

Wearables continue to make waves

There was an obvious buzz around wearables at Display Week, with plenty of products to demo. A recent report from TechSci Research estimates the global market for smart wearables will reach $37 billion by 2020. With endless applications across consumer and commercial industries, it’s no wonder they’ll prove valuable beyond today’s typical exercise and communication uses.

Display expectations

There’s no doubt: the high-resolution, low-power handheld display technology on the show floor was intriguing. Even more so was Intel’s holographic piano that CEO Brian Krzanich played during his keynote on transformative display technology experiences.

For 2016’s show, I’d expect to see more on virtual retinal displays, running video inside of console buttons and 3-D outdoor billboards.

Contact me mad@incomusa.com or @MDetarando to share your Display Week insights and expectations for next-gen displays.

Michael A. Detarando is president and CEO of Incom Inc., a supplier of glass and polymer fused fiber optics that enable innovation in the medical, scientific, display and defense industries.