Smart fitness bracelets are getting smaller and smaller, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is another device you need to find a place on your wrist for. Korean giant Samsung has decided to do something, using its know-how in the field of flexible displays. The result is a revolutionary screen that resembles an “expandable electronic skin”.
Smart bracelets can be replaced with a new type of display
Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) have created an expandable OLED display that can be attached to the skin and can provide fitness data comparable to smart bracelets, such as step count or heart rate. The researchers tested a display located on the inside of the wrist near the artery, and the experiment confirmed that even when the wrist moved, the appearance of the display and the displayed values were not distorted.
During the test, the expandable OLED screen remained reliable with up to 30% skin elongation. The test also confirmed that the sensor and OLED devices can work even after 1000 stretches. The SAIT team modified the composition and structure of the elastomer, a polymer compound with high elasticity and durability, and used existing semiconductor manufacturing processes to apply it to the substrates of expandable OLED displays and sensors. optical blood flow.
According to Samsung, the “patch” acts like a part of the skin and can be used to measure biometric data while sleeping or exercising. You can also view your fitness data directly on the OLED display without having to connect to an external device. “This technology can also be extended for use in portable medical devices for adults, children and infants, as well as for patients with certain types of diseases. ” Explained lead researcher Yun Youngjun.
However, the research is still in its early stages. The researchers say they intend to commercialize the technology by increasing display resolution, scalability, and measurement accuracy to a level that allows mass production.
