You Can Flex, Fold And Now Cut Displays Without Ruining Them

Flexible and foldable displays are no longer a novelty. While consumers are still far from interacting with them on a daily basis, manufacturers are working on prototypes. This flexible, wristband-like smartphone is already in tests, while Oppo is supposedly working on a foldable one. Now, scientists have developed a display that can be cut without destroying functionality #objectmagic

Researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Japan made a material that readjusts to a new shape after cropping and maintains information after switch off. It’s not as adaptable as the ones we’re used to, granted, because it displays only one color and has a limited area to work with. Nevertheless, this is a great starting point for what could be DIY smartwatches and quirky gadgets.

So far, this wasn’t possible because LCD displays need sealing to avoid spilling liquid while OEL ones can be harmed if they come in contact with oxygen and water. This new display, though, was made using a metal/organic hybrid polymer to coat a flexible material that can handle both things, oxygen and moisture. That’s not all – according to the team, this one “requires only a few seconds of electrical input to switch visual information, and the display will last even after power supply is discontinued.”

Next, researchers will attempt to expand the display area and let users change colors by enabling multicolor.