We've seen
transparent OLEDs before, but researchers at the University of Southern California and Princeton University have taken things one step further, developing white-light organic light emitting diodes that can cover just about any surface and act as a light source. The new OLEDs are the result of 13 years of research by Mark Thompson of USC and Stephen Forrest of Princeton, who previously invented single-color OLEDs but, until now, have been unable to overcome the fast burnout time of the white-light types. The trick, as it turned out, was to use a fluorescent dye for the blue component of the OLED instead of a phosphorescence one, which consumed too much energy. Don't start redesigning your place to accomodate glowing surfaces just yet though, they still need to come up with a way of making a plastic backing that'll cover a large area and not allow any humidity to pass through, which degrades the OLED.
[Via
Inhabitat]
posted May 28th 2006 4:38AM
if only they released a black version, I would just sit there and watch emos buy them, I would laugh with glee
(I might dance as well... with glee).
These reaserchers might be the first to make felxible OLED but in japan they also have quite an advanced reaserch project going and may be more advanced in other areas. Might be work chekcing out if you can handle the japanese
http://www.tech-jam.com/academy/kennkyuu/04/index.phtml
and also their reaserch and substantial results date back several years making the reaserch of these guys in the US not particularly groudbreaking.
Is it just me, or did Engadget just miss a chance to mention the Optimus keyboard?
@3 what with all three of its amazing buttons?
This research is not groundbreaking as the cambridge company in the UK has been working on and has perfected these techniques already. They have even worked closely with Epson, since, and have developed an ink jet printing process to manufacture them in volume. The 'blue' breakthrough came some years ago. These flexable OLEDs or Light Emiting Polymers is certainly not new news.
The fact an american firm copied it, also probably isnt new either.
Google it. You'd be suprised.
why the heck would they release a black version, as black is the absense of color, aka absense of reflection of light, therefore it probably wouldnt make sense to make a black colored light, (btw blacklights are purple)
@4 you're thinking of the mini 3, optimus also has a full keyboard on the way.
@6:
"Optimus also has a full keyboard on the way."
Riiiiight... Another bit of vaporware to hope for.
@5 black lights are common name for ultra violet light. They are used to make fluorescence light up or authenticity of the bill.. They look purple, cuz they are in the range of 350nm to 400nm. and purple color wave length is 380nm to 420nm. If it weren't purple but it still shine fluorescence, then it will be harmful to your skin.
@7:
Hey, at least it isn't nearly as vapourware as the Phantom or Duke Nukem Forever.
I like #8's point. This is a great discovery, but when you think about using it in your home it'd probably give you skin cancer like cosmic bowling.
This is actually quite amazing...I know they created flexible keyboards a while back, now they created flexible computer screen potentially, so they are on their way to creating a computer that can be rolled up and put in your back pocket! That's tight... Of course there are thousands of other areas that this would be useful as well.
10 - the light produced by OLED's is about as harmful as the light produced by your LCD monitor. UVA, UVB, and UVC are what contribute to skin cancer. And thats long-term exposure in relatively high amounts.
Hey, did you know you can get cancer from the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in your toast?! :D
o great now they'll have to put a warning label on toast too
@#5,#8//
i mean back as in "black", not uv, black
it's called a joke
if your not to sure what a joke is, clik here
UV can start in the 250nm range and appear blue. I do not believe UVA is harmful at all. UVB is what is used in a tanning salons or curing stations and UVC is germacidal. Your typical Black light is 365nm compared with UVC wich requires Quartz or other clear hard glass and is 254.3nm.
The OLED is cool though and UV should be possible.
Think how thin cell phones can be now...with screens as thin as that little piece of plastic...