EWING, N.J., May 15 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory announced it has contracted Universal Display Corp. to develop an organic light-emitting diode display that can roll up.
New Jersey-based Universal Display was awarded a $99,978 small-business innovation research phase I grant to adapt its OLED technology for the rugged conditions the military operates in and to develop an OLED display capable of being rolled up for storage in a tube. Officials say the research award is part of an effort to replace printed paper maps with reliable digital technology.
If Universal Display and its partner, L-3 Display Systems, are successful in demonstrating an OLED display that can roll up, the companies could be in line for a phase II follow-on for continued development and eventual commercialization of the technology.
"We are excited to continue the research and development of flexible and rollable OLED technology -- an idea that is moving quickly from being a vision to becoming a reality," Steven Abramson, Universal Display president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.
"The U.S. Air Force as well as other branches of the U.S. Department of Defense have been strong supporters of our flexible OLED technology. Also offering thinness, light weight and ruggedness, rollable displays may revolutionize the way soldiers view information on the battlefield and in the cockpit."
