OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology has been gradually gaining momentum as a display medium for everything cell phones, portable media players and even some upcoming computer monitors. But did you know OLED can be amped up enough to generate a meaningful source of illumination?
GE Global Research has been working on a prototype of an OLED light source that could be the shape of things to come. The research project started out by building a small 1-inch square prototype, but GE engineers gradually ramped up the technology to the point where they had a large 2-foot square panel generating a significant amount of white light.
GE is now working on ways to drive the production cost of OLED technology down to a point where it could become a practical substitute for other sources of illumination. Since OLED technologies are flexible and can be engineered to change colors, there is potential for all sorts of unique lighting and display applications.
