Displayed on a rear-view mirror, the OLEDs act as luminous lights depicting information on a transparent display. While heads-up displays such as these are nothing new in the automotive world, NeoView Kolon promises that OLEDs are superior in quality, luminosity, resolution, field of vision, response and power consumption than current LCD and heads-up displays on the market.
The company’s goal is to eventually mass produce OLEDs, with the first application for the technology set to arrive in cell-phones in the near future. Following this, we may see appearances in automotive applications, such as satellite-navigation screens in cars or even as an improved form of heads-up display. Currently, heads-up displays only serve as a supplement to conventional instrument gauges, but with the improvement in technology promised from OLED they may become the primary instrument cluster in future vehicles.
Currently, Lexus is the only carmaker that is already implementing the technology in its cars, namely the 2010 Lexus RX model. The 2010 RX will feature an OLED display panel beside the speedometer. Lexus agrees with NeoView Kolon in that apart from being thinner and lighter than typical LED panels, OLED displays are also brighter and easier to read.
There is also the EDAG Light Car concept seen at this year's Geneva Motor Show, which demonstrates the mass application of the technology in the car. While we aren't likely to see anything like the Light Car in the near future, it does give us an insight into what cars may eventually use to communicate with drivers and other cars out on the roads.