Scientists develop LED display which stretches

There has been a lot of talk about the potential for flexible LED displays to turn the market on its head in the next few years, but now researchers at the University of California (UCLA), in the US, have created a new type of screen which can actually be stretched.

The LED display is embedded on a transparent film, which even at room temperature is pliable enough to allow for a variety of impressively malleable actions to be exerted upon it. This not only means that it can be stretched, but also twisted, bent and folded, before returning to its original shape, according to ScienceDaily.

UCLA spokesperson, Qibing Pei, said that this type of display could eventually allow for the creation of consumer electronics devices which can be stretched and manipulated in a number of ways. The implications for wearable displays built into clothing are particularly significant.

Pei went on to explain that the embedded transistors in the film will make it possible to create LED displays which are not only paper thin, but also fully interactive, which could completely change interior design in the future, thanks to the opportunities for wall mounting.

Tests carried out by researchers found that the LED displays could be stretched over a thousand times, increasing their area by 30 per cent, while still returning to the original area, without having an impact upon the performance of the device.

It is even an option to stretch the screens to over twice their original area, without causing them to cease operation.

This type of technology is increasingly common and is being worked on by a number of companies, with major implications both in the consumer electronics space and for the creation of commercial LED displays over the next few years.