Universal Display to develop prototype

EWING, N.J., July 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has contracted Universal Display Corp. to develop a next-generation display prototype for potential use in tactical cockpits.

U.S. company Universal Display was awarded the contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory to support the Low-Power, Direct-View Flexible Displays program.

Under the $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research phase II award, Universal Display will develop a flexible organic light-emitting diode display prototype that can provide color video with wireless communications capabilities among other next-generation designs that could replace printed maps and documents.

Officials say the OLED display, developed in collaboration with L-3 Communications Display Systems and LG Display, is for potential use by pilots in tactical cockpit settings.

"Combining our flexible, phosphorescent OLED technology with L-3's military display systems integration expertise and LG Display's backplane technology, we intend to demonstrate a product concept that helps keep pilots informed and updated, without encumbering them during flight," Steven Abramson, Universal Display president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"This development underscores the strong potential for our OLED technology to create new product concepts for the military and also for consumers."