HYPOLED announces new partner

Joe Thompson - 01 Oct 2009

HYPOLED, an EU-funded R&D project developing OLED-equipped eyewear and new projection devices, has announced MicroOLED as a display partner.

MicroOLED is based in France and will supply white OLED microdisplays for use in a series of demonstrator sunglasses that will be unveiled next year. The sunglasses will be linked to wireless television and video servers, enabling wearers to view video and television content through a near-to-eye OLED microdisplay embedded in the lens.

HYPOLED is a two-year project that started in January 2008. MicroOLED will replace Scottish start-up Micro-Emissive Displays (MED), which cancelled its participation in November 2008 after it was forced into administration.

Uwe Vogel, head of analogue and circuit design at Fraunhofer IPMS in Germany, is coordinating HYPOLED: 'MED pulling out really slowed this down because we had to find a replacement quickly. We approached MicroOLED at the beginning of the year and it has been helping us where possible since March.'

Project delays

MED's exit has delayed product development for six months, meaning HYPOLED's completion date has been set back to June 2010. Vogel was unable to announce the new completion date or MicroOLED's involvement until he received confirmation from the EU Commission.

He comments: 'We know MicroOLED very well and have worked with its team on other projects so it hasn't taken long for new project members to settle in.'

HYPOLED is also developing an OLED projector in tandem with the head-mounted display for the sunglasses. Vogel is unable to predict when such products could be commercialised, but claims the sunglasses concept will be the first to market.

He adds: 'There will be much more demand for this kind of device. It will be new, exciting and most importantly affordable in the consumer electronics market.'

Vogel is now in talks with two leading consumer electronics brands in Asia that could commercialise the sunglasses concept in the near future.