Several German companies are collaborating on a project called CARO (CAR-OLED). CARO is an R&D project which aims to develop OLEDs for automotive applications (displays and signage).

OLED steering wheel prototype

Two of the companies (Fraunhofer IPMS and Optrex) have developed a steering wheel with an integrated white circula OLED signage display. It shows car-manufacturer neutral functions. Because the OLED is so thin, the basic design of the steering wheel is not changed, including the embedded airbag. The OLED displays was made at the Fraunhofer IPMS pilot lines.

Novaled, Fraunhofer IPMS and Optrex Europe developed a new, unique PMOLED driver. They have implemented an innovative MLA scheme called SELA (Summed Equiline Addressing). Basically, instead of driving using a single-line addressing scheme, the SELA allows parallel driving of multiple rows, thus preventing high current amplitudes.

Basically this means that we get higher lifetime, better resolution and better efficiency in the OLED display. The driver is specified for operations between -40°C and +125°C, exhibits an OLED drive voltage up to 25 V, and a column source current up to 2 mA. In particular the latter can currently not be fulfilled by any commercial available PM OLED driver.

In addition to the innovative addressing concept and the new OLED MLA driver, a high temperature stable and long-living orange emitting PIN OLED layer stack was developed by Novaled AG. In automotive applications high reliability at 85°C
operational temperature and highly stable brightness (often only 20% reduction over lifetime is allowed) is required. The newly developed OLED stack offers an operating lifetime of currently 5.300 hours at 85°C and 20% brightness drop at an initial brightness of 600 cd/m².

GE has produced a nice video showing all sorts of design concepts using thin, flexible OLED lighting panels. There's wearable OLEDs for emergency safety gear, illuminated stairs, walls and signs in stores and a nice "wall peel" OLED lamp:

GE are working towards roll-to-roll printing of OLEDs, and are planning to introduce OLED lighting products by 2010.

DisplaySearch are reporting Flat-panel TV sales have risen 23% in the first quarter, when compared to last year. DisplaySearch say that people are looking for bargains, and low-cost vendors (such as Vizio and Funai) are leading the sales. Samsung and Sony actually saw a decline in sales.

This is probably not good news for OLEDs: people aren't looking for high-end, quality displays. At least not now. Obviously things may change in a year or two.

University of Tokyo researchers developed a new kind of OLED display, that can actually stretch and deform - like rubber.They showed one displays that is shaped like a face, and showing changing expressions, and another screen that is spherical and shows weather data. The OLEDs were produced by spraying a layer of carbon nanotubes with a fluoro-rubber compound to produce a stretchy, conductive material.

The current prototypes are 100 sq centimeters, and have 256 monochrome pixels. They can be folded at least a thousand times, with no decline in quality. They are working towards better resolution and color displays.

"In the future, displays that once had to be flat can be made spherical, or even moving," says Takao Someya, professor of electronic engineering at the University of Tokyo. "A human-shaped display could be used to show medical diagnosis data, and there are various other applications."

Researchers from the University of Rochester, together with Kodak has created a nanocrystal that constantly emits light, and does not 'blink'. The findings, detailed online in the journal Nature, may
open the door to dramatically less expensive and more versatile lasers,
brighter LED lighting, and biological markers that track how a drug
interact with a cell at a level never before possible.

The researchers think that one day it'll be possible to 'paint' such nanocrystals on a large surface - creating a flat light source that may one day replace OLEDs. 

During the Light Fair in Jacob K Javits Convention Center, New York, WAC lighting is showing some beautiful OLED fixture prototypes - one mini-chandelier, and one wall sconce. They sent us a lot of info, photos and videos of these lamps...

The OLED wall sconce uses 6 color-changeable, 3" OLEDs:

Sony has been talking to TechRadar, and saying that they are completely committed to OLEDs. They see OLEDs as the next display technology.

Sony however thinks that it'll take a few years (at least) for OLEDs TVs to surpass LCD TVs. Sony want to 'slowly cultivate' their OLED technology - they plan to deliver 'new lifestyle ideas and applications' using OLEDs.

Panasonic has announced that they are developing OLEDs together with Sumitomo. They aim to make 40" (or bigger) TVs by 2010. Back in 2008, Sumitomo announced plans for OLED TVs by 2009, and were seeking partners for doing it.

Sumitomo's technology is based on CDT's PLED materials (CDT were acquired by Sumitomo back in 2007).

Universal Display reported their 1Q results. For the first quarter of 2009, the Company reported a net loss of $5.5M, Revenues were $2.8M.

They are still optimistic, and waiting for ramp-ups in OLED production from Samsung SMD, CMEL and LG.