14 DAY TRIAL // Ever since Star Trek and Star Wars first aired, the minds of the populace have been filled with futuristic visions of not just exploding space stations and various cataclysmic scenarios that bring about the end of humanity, but also of how technology may evolve and improve the human condition. In terms of IT, creating a futuristic display technology would likely grab the attention of many. To this end, Samsung has quietly been building a transparent screen based on AMOLED (active matrix organic light-emitting diode) technology.
The newest of Samsung's creations, as etnews.co.kr reports, is a 19-inch AMOLED screen which, as is befitting of a “world's first-type” product, is even better than the prototype brought to this year's Consumer Electronics Show. Better in the way that, besides being larger (the first measured 14 inches), it has a transparency of 30%. This AMOLED seems to be the latest step in the slow transition towards an age where most, if not all, glass-like surfaces are, in fact, transparent screens.
During CES, the screen was demonstrated as part of a 14-inch laptop and the plans for further developments included a panel module for touch interface and integration into smart show windows, navigation and transparent IT products. Not only that, but there were even plans for a large size business panel model to be completed by the end of the ongoing year. There is still no word on how much progress has been made in this endeavor, but this newest product does seem to prove that advancements are definitely being made.
Further plans of the company include devising HUDs for helmets and car windshields, among other things. Of course, there is no way of knowing when, if ever, such projects will come to fruition, but given that Samsung succeeded in scaling the technology by 5 inches within a few months, it shouldn't be impossible to scale it down.