Samsung claimed its researchers made a breakthrough in proving the commercial viability of introducing stretchable displays to the market, as the vendor continues work on bringing innovation to the device segment.

The vendor stated researchers at its R&D hub made strides in free-form display technology which overcomes the limitations of stretchable devices.

Such displays are gaining traction as next-generation technology which will allow “for both high-resolution visuals and portability at the same time”, Samsung explained.

While still being a nascent technology, research was conducted on displays which can “be stretched in all directions like rubber bands to change shape”.

Through a study, it said it was the first in the industry to provide the commercialisation potential, “given that the technology is capable of being integrated with existing semiconductor processes”.

Healthcare
Samsung’s team claimed it was also able to integrate a stretchable OLED display and a heart-rate sensor in a single device.

This, it said would enable users to measure heart-rate in real time, thus creating a “stretchable electronic skin” form factor and proving the viability of using such a display for other applications.

In total, the sensor and display could be elongated by 30 per cent without delivering an abnormal outlook or performance degradation.

Samsung principal researcher Youngjun Yun said the technology could be particularly useful in wearable healthcare products.

“The strength of this technology is that it allows you to measure your biometric data for a longer period without having to remove the solution when you sleep or exercise, since the patch feels like part of your skin.”