LG shows off a second prototype of its “stretchable” screen. The screen measures 12 inches but can be expanded to 18 inches.

Today, screen manufacturers need to be creative to innovate. In front of about a hundred South Korean academics, industry leaders and stakeholders, LG unveiled a “stretchable” screen.

LG is not yet ready for its test piece: it showed a first prototype in 2022. However, the second prototype has significantly higher elasticity than the first model.

plasticine

The stretchable screen looks like it is made of rubber or plasticine: the 12-inch screen can be stretched to a size of 18 inches. LG proudly proclaims that its 50% stretchable screen is the most elastic screen of its kind. According to the manufacturer, the higher stretchability enables multiple display designs.

In order to make the screen more stretchable, LG had to make some technical changes. The manufacturer used a special silicon substrate used in contact lenses and developed a new wiring structure. The prototype’s resolution is 100 pixels per inch and supports the full RGB color spectrum. The use of micro LED (40 μm) makes the screen more durable.

Whether we’ll ever see the elastic screen in commercial devices remains to be seen. LG is the driving force behind a South Korean research project involving 19 other companies and research institutions. LG says this prototype represents a major research breakthrough, but that doesn’t mean the screen is mature enough to go into production.