Cambridge University develops screen made of fabric

Another milestone in the field of display technology seems to have been reached. While they have only recently managed to produce rollable screens, a team of researchers has now even managed to make a display out of fabric.

Samsung and LG as patrons

The display market knows two big names: Samsung and LG. However, a recently announced study shows that the two South Korean tech groups can not only compete, but also cooperate. Together with a team of scientists, the world market leaders in panel technology have meticulously worked on finding new display surfaces. The result is a display made of fabric. The basis of the whole thing is a surface made of conventionally woven fabric.

This piece of fabric is then supplemented by LEDs with the colors red, blue and green. To provide power, fine copper wires are woven into the fabric piece. Results of the experiment have now been revealed via Eenewseurope magazine. The said “fabric display” has a screen diagonal of 46 inches. The purpose of the whole thing, however, is not to attach the woven fabric like some kind of tapestry. Instead, it’s to be able to wrap it around objects to display those images.

No active power supply needed

On the 116 cm diameter fabric part, 84 x 76 LEDs are at work, which are supposed to provide screen content. In combination with each other, not only the most diverse moving patterns, but also colorful content should be possible. The responsible scientists state that the fabric part needs a total of 35 watts to be able to function. At the same time, no active power is said to be needed. Instead, the rollable screen works on the principle of so-called RF harvesting. Here, the piece of technology in question gets the power it needs from a surrounding magnetic field.

This shouldn’t quite reach the required 35 watts, but at least cover a part of the power supply. The remaining power is provided by the built-in capacitors, which are also supposed to be able to store electricity. Thus, the fabric screen should be able to work without a power cable for a certain time. It also sounds exciting that the screen can be controlled via touch. Here again the sewn copper threads are used.

Technology not yet mature

However, this is still the beginning of the development of a promising technology. What still clouds the optical enjoyment somewhat is the comparatively limited number of pixels that are used on the 46-inch screen. These still make for blurry pictures at the moment. For this reason, the woven display is only suitable for displaying simple patterns for the time being. But it doesn’t seem to be the researchers’ goal to develop a completely new television or monitor. Instead, there are other exciting areas of application. Particularly in the textile industry, very special pieces could be produced. Says one of the members of the Cambridge University research team, Dr. Luigi Occhipinti:

“By unleashing the potential of the textile industry, we could soon see smart and energy-autonomous IoT devices that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday objects and other use cases.”