Close to wearable
computers
Boffins at the University of Tokyo have moved a step closer
wearable computers by making a cheap stretchable display.
Takao Someya, an
electrical-engineering professor, and his colleagues use OLEDs and organic
transistors with a new rubbery conductor. This means they can spread the display
over a curved surface without affecting performance. It can even be folded in
half or crumpled up without incurring any damage. The display is made out of
a mix of carbon nanotubes and rubber. The latest generation of the screen is
more conductive and can stretch to more than twice its original size.
What
makes Someya's latest screen so good is that it can now be printed, combined
with printable transistors and OLEDs. This will pave the way for rolling out
large, cheap, wearable displays and electronics. (I can already see the headlines, 'Durex launches LED backlit 1080p...' nevermind... sub.ed.)