LG Display has selected transparent organic light emitting diodes (OLED) as one of their new growth engines this year. Beyond simple panel supply, they will expand cooperation and application with customers from the development stage of transparent OLED products. In particular, they aim at the rapidly growing mobility field.
LG Display is expanding cooperation with domestic and foreign customers to develop transparent OLED products. This is a step towards to increase the use of transparent OLED, which was mainly applied to existing TV and signage products. The goal is to create a 'transparent OLED ecosystem' with customers to expand the transparent OLED base. It is a strategy similar to that of forming the OLED TV base to expand OLED panel supply.
LG Display supported the development of transparent OLED solutions in the mobility field in cooperation with construction and heavy equipment companies and autonomous navigation and navigation system development companies. Doosan Bobcat's mini electric excavator's front glass was replaced with a touch-type transparent OLED. It helps to work safely by removing the control panel that blocks the existing view. By combining Avikus' self-developed augmented reality (AR) system and transparent OLED, they also contributed to the development of the next-generation self-driving boat. Boat operation information can be provided through transparent OLED while providing an open driving environment. It is known that LG Display participated in the product planning and technology consulting from the early stage of development.
Collaboration with Meerecompany, a semiconductor and display equipment company, is also noteworthy. Meerecompany has developed a '3D virtual touch solution' based on a screen finger gesture recognition sensor. LG Display's transparent OLED was used here. Like a movie 'Minority Report', it is characterized by operating the transparent display with only hand gestures. LG Display also collaborated with Israeli smart glass company Gauzy to create a product that can control transparency. These products were unveiled at CES 2022 earlier this year, drawing attention from the industry.
LG Display plans to strengthen customer technical support capabilities so that transparent OLED-based product development can be actively carried out. Since transparent OLED implementation is technically difficult, LG Display support is essential. In transparent OLED, the higher the transparency, the higher the required voltage and the more severe the heat. As a result, durability problems may occur, so a display technology that increases transparency and operation stability is required. This is the background for LG Display to collaborate directly with customers and provide all-round technical support.
Through this, the company plans to preoccupy the transparent OLED market with high growth potential. According to Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a management consulting firm, the transparent OLED market is expected to reach KRW 100 billion this year. It is expected to grow at high average annual rate of 116% and form KRW 3 trillion market in 2025. Among transparent OLED panels, large screens are led by LG Display.
LG Display official said, “After commercializing 55-inch transparent OLED panel in 2019, we began to strengthen collaboration with customers so that they can be applied to various products. We will support the creation of products using transparent OLED not only in spaces such as shopping malls, offices, homes and subways, but also in the mobility field.”
By Staff Reporter Dong-jun Kwon (djkwon@etnews.com)