Jul 1 2009
Universal Display Corporation (NASDAQ:PANL), an innovator behind today's and tomorrow's displays and lighting through its UniversalPHOLED™ phosphorescent OLED technology, today announced that the company has been awarded a $750,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory. Work under the program, titled “Low-Power, Direct-View Flexible Displays,” will focus on the development of a non-glass, ejection-safe, flexible OLED display prototype for prospective use by pilots in tactical cockpit settings.
Developed in collaboration with L-3 Communications Display Systems and LG Display, the flexible phosphorescent OLED display prototype will be energy efficient, offer full-color video rate and have wireless communications capabilities. In addition, it will have the capability to be wrapped around a cylinder for easy storage during flight. The design goal is to provide Air Force pilots with a replacement for printed maps and checklists typically held on their knees in tactical cockpits.
“The U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense recognize that technology innovation can provide our servicemen and women with the best tools to succeed,” said Steven V. Abramson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Display. “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. This development underscores the strong potential for our OLED technology to create new product concepts for the military and also for consumers.”
The Phase II contract follows Universal Display's successful completion of a Phase I program that demonstrated the initial technical feasibility of a flexible, rollable display for this Air Force application. Under terms of the Phase II program, the team will deliver four breadboard subsystems based on a bright 6” diagonal, full-color, low power consumption PHOLED display on flexible metal foil. These displays will then be wrapped around cylinders containing power supplies and wireless communications electronics. The result will be a storable, full motion video and wirelessly enabled display device for evaluation in a tactical cockpit setting.