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Hardware Technology

HP and ASU Demo Prototype Flexible Display 64

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the soft-hardware dept.
Engadget is reporting that HP and Arizona State University's cooperation has given birth to a new prototype flexible display. Using "self-aligned imprint lithography" (SAIL) the prototype device is easy to manufacture, environmentally friendly, and incredibly resilient. Unfortunately it is still a prototype, so don't expect to see this tech hit the streets for quite a while yet.
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HP and ASU Demo Prototype Flexible Display More

HP and ASU Demo Prototype Flexible Display

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  • Bistable (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Sockatume ( 732728 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:24PM (#26036393)
    Even more interestingly, it's a type of colour bistable display, so combined with the roll-to-roll process it really is electronic paper. If it's as hardy as they say, I guess we can look forward to a "real" e-ink cover in Esquire in five to ten years.
    • Yep... and I'll be the first person to buy one in that 5-10 years (when the price drops below $100).

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by xonar ( 1069832 )
        Maybe everyone would own a "news-paper", refreshing with new, up-to-date news every day.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by blai ( 1380673 )
        If you wait till the price drops, how will you be the first person buying it? I see that you'll appreciate a free copy, though.

  • Video -- Monochrome Display only :/ (Score:4, Interesting)

    by jdb2 ( 800046 ) * on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:25PM (#26036415) Journal
    Does anyone know where to find a video of the RGB display? A video of the immediate predecessor of the above is available here [asu.edu] ( dynamic stress testing )

    jdb2

  • Finally (Score:2, Funny)

    by amazeofdeath ( 1102843 )

    Now I can enjoy my adult entertainment the way I like it... *snuggles*

  • It sure would be nice to have a scroll-mobile (Score:5, Funny)

    by Iowan41 ( 1139959 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:29PM (#26036495)
    So that we who are old enough to have coded in punch cards can read our netphone screens. :-)

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by evanbd ( 210358 )
      You mean this [unplggd.com]? (Original appears to be here [tart2000.com] but hidden behind icky flash and with worse presentation.)

  • So many possibilities (Score:3, Funny)

    by tripdizzle ( 1386273 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:31PM (#26036523)
    I cant wait until I can fold up my monitor and put it in my pocket.

  • Good thing they're flexible (Score:3, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:32PM (#26036535)

    Engadget is reporting that HP and Arizona State University's cooperation has given birth to a new prototype flexible display.

    Just imagine giving birth to a CRT. Ouch.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fred_A ( 10934 )

      Engadget is reporting that HP and Arizona State University's cooperation has given birth to a new prototype flexible display.

      Just imagine giving birth to a CRT. Ouch.

      And as usual the father is a SAILor. Those guys ought to take more responsibility.

  • The problem (Score:5, Funny)

    by eclectro ( 227083 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:43PM (#26036765)

    The ink cartridges used to do the lithography only come one-quarter filled.

  • Videos here (Score:5, Informative)

    by freddy_dreddy ( 1321567 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:46PM (#26036821)
    They mapped their milestones with photographs & videos:

    Clink [asu.edu]

    • It is absolutely perplexing to me that /. would link to an engadget article instead of the university's website. Thanks for the real link!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fred_A ( 10934 )

      They mapped their milestones with photographs & videos:

        Clink [asu.edu]

      Judging from the demo video, the display is in levels of grey, not in colour :(
      And not all that flexible (it would have to be quite large to be rolled). But quite resilient, which is still fairly good compared to what we've got nowadays.

  • But the question remains... (Score:5, Funny)

    by bconway ( 63464 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @02:49PM (#26036879) Homepage

    Will it blend?

  • It looks like this is only the color filtering aspect of a display and not the light source. Still have to hold it up to a flashlight while you try to use it or hang it from your window. In these cases, it would be easier if it were not so flexible.

    Now if they had this display providing light and being still thin and flexible, then you got the whole package.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Amouth ( 879122 )

      actualy if they did make it completely out of (basicly) clear plastic - i wonder if it would have the same optical effect that plexi glass or lexan does.. where youcan put a beam of light through it and any holes or imperfections cause reflection at 90 degrees.

      meaning they could do a roll out display with white LED's at the end of the screen - light would travel through the display untill it hit a colored pixel and refract light out... i do see a color bleading issue with this but would still be a neat way

      • That could work in theory. I imagine you would have to have micro-layers to channel the light from the source out to the pixls and have each column of pixels be in an incrimentally lower depth so as to be hit by a fresh beam of light and not obstructed by the light source from a column of pixels between it and the source.

        You are basically getting to the point of creating a sheet of fiber-optics, if you take it this far. That would be better than a disruption of light. You shoot the light straight out at

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by Amouth ( 879122 )

          true - but another way of doing it is this,

          if you think of how a back light on an LCD works there is one light source that is injected into a peice of glass and there is a reflective layer around all the edges and the back with a polirized layer (usualy 3-4) on the front then the LCD.. the idea being the light will bounce around untill it is at relitivly 90 degree of this the only part that can't be made flexiable is the glass and the LCD .. well this is the LCD .. and it is clear platic.. could it not be

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fred_A ( 10934 )

      It looks like this is only the color filtering aspect of a display and not the light source. Still have to hold it up to a flashlight while you try to use it or hang it from your window. In these cases, it would be easier if it were not so flexible.

      If it were to be fairly transparent when blanked, it could be permanently affixed to window panes and it wouldn't be an issue. The rest of the time you could use it to have interesting displays on your windows (or just blanking).

      • I like that thought...

        Sales pitch: "Don't like the view out your window, just download the "window saver" display scenes and have your view instantly show the scenery you wished you had. Live in a bad part of town? Now you can have beautiful vistas out every window..."

  • Wow (Score:2, Funny)

    by CynicalTyler ( 986549 )
    I'm just surprised ASU stopped drinking long enough to make something.

  • A little early to be happy? (Score:3, Interesting)

    by rezalas ( 1227518 ) on Monday December 08, 2008 @05:15PM (#26039137)
    I'm not seeing anywhere in the article (or in any other article) about the displays being color (or how many colors). I watched the milestone videos and read the ASU project site, but beyond saying flexible color displays is their goal I don't see anything that says they've achieved it. Also, that image in the site looks like very old stock footage someone made as apposed to a demo unit. The ones shown on the site are all the size of a business card.
  • My fiancée works in a research lab where they are creating photoelectric polymers with salmon dna which is oddly enough as good a conductor as copper. This stuff is a VERY long way off from becoming mainstream, as I understand it the process for creating these sort of materials in very small quantities can take a long time and doesn't have a very high yield thus making it very expensive.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Fred_A ( 10934 )

      My fiancée works in a research lab where they are creating photoelectric polymers with salmon dna which is oddly enough as good a conductor as copper.

      Why would salmon DNA, specifically, would be a better conductor than trout DNA or even snail DNA for that matter ?

      (just wondering, the molecules themselves are similar, seen as a whole)

      • Good question, I don't know I'm just going off of what I was told when I visited the lab, but I would assume the choice of salmon sperm dna probably has to do with cost.
    • I know how to create more salmon DNA!

      I hope for your sake that your fiancee does too.
  • I really can't wait until we have PDAs like those in the movie Red Planet. Cool! Maybe by then we'll have Aimee as well.

  • Nice, but it's no replacement for high-quality laptop screens. Work on those first.

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