ModisTech to commercialize cheap, flexible OLED lighting this year
By Donald Melanson 
posted February 20th 2010 6:51AM
posted February 20th 2010 6:51AM
It's far from the only one working on flexible OLED lighting, but it looks like ModisTech could be among the first to actually bring something to market, as its now announced that it will begin commercialization of its 150 x 150mm flexible OLED panels this year (seemingly ahead of its original 2011 schedule). Those will apparently be used for various indirect lighting applications including desk lamps and car lighting, and promise to provide a more natural light than LEDs while maintaining some of the same power savings. Still no word on any actual products using the OLED panels, unfortunately, but they will supposedly be inexpensive for companies to adopt (and very cheap to manufacture).
Will they be sold cheap too? I'll take 2 squaremeters, im sure ill find places where I want to stick them onto :)
How about sewing them into safety clothing?
...I'm sure they would be popular at rave parties too ;0)
@Downpour I like the safety clothing idea.
Stick it inside my tower for some work lighting!
It seems like there was no progress in lighting technology for like a hundred years, and now every six months another company is rolling out some super efficient lighting. It's good to see, I just wonder what took so long.
@nachotech
Its called the internet.
@Aurailious Not really. It's more or less semiconductors.
@MioTheGreat and/or energy crisis
@nachotech
The pace of other technology that allowed the cheaper manufacture of the supporting technologies, plus more companies and bigger R&D budgets. Also, more universities partnered with private industry involved in tech research.
Every company is trying to find that "edge" that will give them a big advantage in the market. The lighting market is fairly stagnant, but maybe not anymore.
The miracle of the market
@nachotech
Gasp! It's the Technological Singularity!
Hm... http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/2665903/Lumiblades-the-future-of-lights
That is quite expensive. Though if cheaper I'd be interested too. What about using them as backlight for TFTs? Could safe some energy, and the light distribution would be very even. Or even combine... like those locally dimmable LED TVs, just using OLED.
Will this be available in amber? I'd love some amber lamps. Call the amber lamps!
They're* far from...
@highlighted
The author is referring to a company, so I think the use of "it" is also correct.
@highlighted
In American English a company is typically treated as a singular noun. Since it would be silly to refer to a company as "he" or "she", "it" is perfectly acceptable.
@highlighted Stop treating a corporation like a person >:(
The future is now!
Yes cheaper, but will it bend?
@niclet They advertise its ability to bend, the ultimate question is: will it blend?
@pavlindrom It was a wordplay dude!
@niclet ...but still, that was a good comeback
there has been a lot of talk about "printing" this stuff cheaply. if they actually manage to do it i'll be a bit more excited. its just too often that one of these small companies promises something, then we never hear from them again. fingers crossed.
also, define cheap, i personally do not own a private jet or a BMW 7 series.
Looks like ModisTech is a Korean company... has the US fallen behind in this technology too? Are there any US companies even close to being competitive with ModisTech or are we going to write-off another technology that is going to eventually revolutionize the world?
love engadget
I dream where my school classrooms used flexible OLED sheets for many things. Would be awesome
I was thinking of painting one wall a bold red color, just have a little contrast in the apartment. I wonder what it would cost to just have an OLED accent wall.
@Smurf
Wouldn't an e-paper wall be better?
Sweet, now i will have the baddest gameboy light on the block
some people make duct tape clothes. this would be better
@Zueq Or if your entire ceiling was one of the sheets. It would just have to generate a soft glow to be as bright as a typical room.
@Darkroom
I can't wait till I can surf the web with my eyes closed, but see it all in perfect clarity. Of course, a biofeedback mechanism would be used to derive user input without the need to move, and a bib to catch my drool.
@Darkroom and play a game on the wall without monitor or replace current tv's :D
@Atkins i don't know why i did not remember this earlier www.gagogeek.com/.../a-concept-of-the-sony-psp2