Not just micro displays: adding flat panel products to the mix

After about a decade of making virtual reality goggles and other near-eye devices based on micro displays, my company started demonstrating and shipping goggles that are based on flat-panel displays such as those found in smartphones. Many that have visited the I/ITSEC training show in Orlando had a chance to experience some of our new offering, and we were very happy with the feedback received.

It was not a difficult decision. Given the increasing resolution, diverse supplier base and lower cost of flat panel displays (as opposed to OLED micro displays), it made sense to start applying our innovation and our expertise in goggles to this new display technology.

To date, we have exclusively used OLEDs from eMagin. There are many good folks at eMagin, and they have nice products, but given their well-documented delivery challenges and new designs made possible by flat-panel displays, they won't be our exclusive display supplier anymore.

Where and when is it best to use OLED micro displays?

• Where physical space is limited, such as when building a simulated rifle scope
• When the contrast and response time of OLEDs are a must (that is, until OLED flat panels become widely available for goggle use)
• Where harsh environmental conditions - especially temperature - are required, such as in our ruggedized HMD for training
• Where high pixel density is required
• Where being able to purchase replacement parts for many years is important
• When low power consumption is critical

Where and when is it best to use flat panel displays?

• Where wide field of view is particularly important
• When it is important to have supplier diversity
• When cost is a major factor

Not married to one display technology or another, it is now possible to choose the best one for each new product.