Video: Flexible OLED display for your MJOLNIR armor

As promised, Universal Display Corporation had its 4-inch, flexible, wrist-worn OLED display designed for military use (and nerds) here at CES. Master Chief would be proud. See what we mean after the break.

[coffee @ Jan 8th 2009 9:43AM]

Finally, some tech porn.

[Shaka @ Jan 8th 2009 12:18PM]

+1 for engadget for having the first live video of this thing on the web.

[OneLove @ Jan 8th 2009 1:20PM]

just what a soldier needs; the enemy targeting his windows screen saver in the dark.

[Ghen @ Jan 8th 2009 6:22PM]

side note: after playing tomb raider underworld I now know that its pronouced: me-awl-near ... who knew?

[Riley @ Jan 8th 2009 10:15PM]

um, i knew
i mean, it is Thor's hammer, and j's are silent in Scandanavian languages (Bjork, fjord)

[Riley @ Jan 8th 2009 10:19PM]

and by silent, i meant pronounced as a y

[Bomber @ Jan 8th 2009 9:44AM]

Pipboy! :O

[Harlo @ Jan 8th 2009 10:27AM]

I'm hoping VATS is the next tech shown off to go with it.

[STINK @ Jan 8th 2009 10:53AM]

Bloody Mess!

[Hackettman @ Jan 8th 2009 12:43PM]

Hahah nice....

[RadicalxEdward @ Jan 8th 2009 9:44AM]

Ha ha, that is awesome. And what a great way to show it off!

[sua @ Jan 8th 2009 9:45AM]

It's pretty cool, but what are those transparent things in the background flashing with colors?

[meist3r @ Jan 8th 2009 9:50AM]

Looks like display displays to me :P
Really flat displays that blink to show off color saturation and changing speed -right?

[helios @ Jan 8th 2009 12:14PM]

its just what its around, like if it was around your rist. its a piece of clear pvc they just wanted it to look cool.

[AMiSH PiRATE @ Jan 8th 2009 9:47AM]

Will this make me army strong?

[thedesolate1 @ Jan 8th 2009 12:15PM]

I dont know about that but Im still waiting for my XO armor.

[Can-O-War @ Jan 8th 2009 9:50AM]

This obviously a pip-boy, master chief had a built in HUD in his helmet. God.

[coffee @ Jan 8th 2009 9:56AM]

If Engadget was nerd chumming, you're thrashing the water behind their boat.

[SKLP @ Jan 8th 2009 9:51AM]

It´s HALO night

:)

[Tarnation @ Jan 8th 2009 9:57AM]

Hmmm... I noticed that this appears only to be a display. I can see what looks like a monitor cable coming out of it. I guess some sort of back pack device would also be needed. They need to add some force feedback to this and add/integrate it into a game system sort of like the screen on the old Dreamcast controller.

Health bar, ammo indicator, and all kinds of fun uses.

[Wolfticket @ Jan 8th 2009 10:06AM]

Heath bar for actual real life soldiers lol

[Landon @ Jan 8th 2009 10:14AM]

Dude I love Heath bars!!

[Hackettman @ Jan 8th 2009 1:07PM]

The cable is probably just for the show. I mean you could probably slap something with some computing power on there that has some sort of satellite receiving and transmitting ability and keep it relatively the same form factor. I mean hell a cell phone board modded into that display could be rather useful......

[TheKrimzonGhost @ Jan 9th 2009 12:24PM]

ha ha ha ha back pack....how bout a PSP MOBO with a 30gig MK800Gal HD...

-tkg

[sndmn23 @ Jan 8th 2009 9:58AM]

Coming soon to NFL QBs wrists everywhere.

[bondsbw @ Jan 8th 2009 10:01AM]

I was thinking the same thing.

[Wonderkid @ Jan 8th 2009 9:59AM]

I can see it now, the BanglePhone! And it wouldn't surprise me to see Nokia do something with this technology - they can be innovative when they put their mind to it. LG's wrist phone is nice, but way to bulky. Huge potential in the fashion industry too...

[Raven @ Jan 8th 2009 10:00AM]

I have to agree with bomber, it looks a lot like a pip boy from fallout 3.

[Magallanes @ Jan 8th 2009 10:01AM]

One word :GEARDO!

:-/

[George @ Jan 8th 2009 10:10AM]

Big deal. Sam Fisher had this like 6 years ago.

[Alan Strangis @ Jan 8th 2009 11:33AM]

Actually, 6 years ago Sam was using a Palm handheld, then switched over to a Sony Ericsson. Don't know what he was using after the second one though.

[nanobis @ Jan 8th 2009 10:12AM]

Its look a bit flimsy, more like a prototype really. But i really cant wait for this to be a consumer product.

[Esteban @ Jan 8th 2009 10:27AM]

I wonder if any of us will be alive by then...

[MC Double Def DP @ Jan 8th 2009 12:43PM]

probably not if you're 90... or eating at McDonald's.

[webmaster @ Jan 8th 2009 10:28AM]

Quarterbacks will be able to view strategies right on their wrists.
Instead of the play list on their wrists, they can see the previous play and the line up with the coaches notes.

[jay @ Jan 8th 2009 10:31AM]

I know there's nothing in the scene to give it scale, but that thing looks HUGE! The military would probably be better off with an E-Ink display -- it'll take less power and won't give away your position at night like a beacon.

[makkura @ Jan 8th 2009 10:51AM]

I think this thing is going to be able to stream video while an EInk display wouldn't ( believe the colors and refresh rates are both too low for that sort of thing).

Though I do wonder what they'll do in dark situations where it will stand out while on.
For a military app I have to wonder if they'll use a sensor or two to grab primary colors in the area and make the primary display color that color so less light is emitted that doesn't blend with the background.

Oh the possibilities!

[bob @ Jan 8th 2009 11:04AM]

You would still need a light to read E-Inks display at night, thus giving away your position... But i agree that the military will probably get an EPD wrist display before they get an OLED version.

[Jamie @ Jan 8th 2009 11:20AM]

How about the transparent LEDs behind it? I'm curious to see what those can do. Also, if there is any touch interface on either.

[Jamie @ Jan 8th 2009 11:25AM]

How about the wrist computer that Predator had?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/2219105225_e522057d34.jpg

[LZBravo @ Jan 8th 2009 11:46AM]

If a strange series of lines start to count down across the display, and you hear gurgling, alien laugher in the background, you better get out of there pronto!

[MetalBLACKFOX @ Jan 8th 2009 12:04PM]

add a touch screen and make it smaller and we got a deal

[Ari @ Jan 8th 2009 12:06PM]

it looks like Borg technology to me...

[ill trooper @ Jan 8th 2009 12:33PM]

So you couldn't just move the camera and show us a quick view from the side, just to let it sink in that it's really just that thin?

To quote 3 O'Clock High: "You didn't even try. How does that make you feel?"

[Wwhat @ Jan 8th 2009 12:45PM]

Next: anti-glare coating.

[C Martin @ Jan 8th 2009 12:58PM]

Flexible-schmexible! If reliable old flat screen LED tech was good enough for the Predator, it's good enough for me!

[Woogs @ Jan 8th 2009 1:02PM]

*sigh*

Why is it that everything to do with power armour has to be tied to Halo now? The armour wasn't even that interesting - it didn't bring anything new to the table that Warhammer 40K, Robert Heinlein, Battletech or countless other sci-fi settings hadn't already.

What I'm liking about this is that we're inching one step closer to the thermoptic camoflauge from GitS. Get it to emit in infrared as well, then progress from there.

[john @ Jan 8th 2009 2:34PM]

this makes me think of leela from futurama

[absurdio @ Jan 8th 2009 4:35PM]

Man. I'm AMAZED that it took that many posts for this to get said.
Futurama was the first thing I thought of when I saw this. Props.

...also, I watch too much futurama.

[M1ster_Matth3w @ Jan 8th 2009 5:24PM]

Agreed, I was thinking of the episode where all robots went nuts and Leela's wrist computer went sentient and told her to wash her wrist more often.