Spreadable OLED TVs to power themselves

[Galactus]

Solar cells and OLED screens may be sprayed from a bucket

Not satisfied with a future vision that already includes flexible screens and wafer-thin phones, a pair of Japanese companies has pushed the envelope to come up with far-fetched gadgets that do all of the above without ever going near a power socket.

The key to the work by Mitsubishi Chemical and Sumitomo Chemical lies in so-called spreadable electronics – liquids containing molecules of the type used in OLED screens.

Two in one

Engineers like Tokitaro Hoshijima at Mitsubishi Chemical see the possibility of using spreadable electronics to create both ultra-thin displays and solar panels at the same time.

Because solar cells and OLEDs work on similar, but opposite, principles, it is possible to make materials that both take light and turn it into electricity and also do the opposite to provide a controllable display.

Hoshijima and many others are working on a molecular soup that can be spread anywhere and then dried to leave a residue layer that is only 100nm thick. This currently forms the basis for their proposed solar cell.

World without plugs

He explains: "What I want to create is a world that does not need power sockets." He goes on to describe how his paste applied to the back of a phone could be enough to charge the device when exposed to light.

By the same token, researchers at Sumitomo Chemical have created a similar organic solution that can be sprayed onto a surface to create an OLED screen.

Such a display could be on a rollable piece of plastic or even applied directly to a wall. The solar-charging properties described above mean it would never need to be plugged in.

Blue-sky projects like these typically take years to bear fruit, but both companies are looking at getting usable prototype devices ready within the next two years.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Wow...

Pretty neat

 

[jaguarr]

Now that is some cool stuff.

jag

 

[NHawk19]

Wonder if the power companies will have a similar reaction jag.

 

[jaguarr]

Wonder if the power companies will have a similar reaction jag.

They can go to hell and die.

jag

 

[NHawk19]

I feel the same way but me thinks this project may not come to fruition anytime soon.

 

[jaguarr]

I feel the same way but me thinks this project may not come to fruition anytime soon.

I think it will. The grip of the traditional power companies is slowly slipping. The innovations happening in harnessing wind power (Google "wind turbine") and solar power cells (there was a recent innovation that will enable solar panels to be "printed" out of plastic sheets very cheaply) are starting to really pick up the pace. With coal and oil prices the way they are, people are becoming more open to using these kinds of renewable energy sources as well, especially since they're becoming more and more affordable. There's even talk of making some of these technologies mandatory in new home construction. The energy and utility companies are going to find themselves being forced to convert to a different business model of "energy broker" at some point, where they store the excess energy that is being sold to them by consumers with wind turbines and solar panels on their houses (yes, sold to them) and then turn around and sell that energy to industrial complexes and places that don't have enough energy for whatever reason (places with high energy consumption like Vegas or remote, poor places that need the energy but don't have the infrastructure to support renewable energy sources yet like smaller countries).

The world will change, regardless of what the energy companies do. Same goes for the stranglehold oil has on transportation and the economy. They've been able to suppress the pace at which renewable energy will eventually supplant them, but that's all they've been able to do; eventually they won't be able to do it any longer, though. Circumstances will change and put an absolute demand from consumer, political, economic and resource-availability perspectives that will make it absolutely necessary to move away from things like coal and oil. We're seeing the oil industry basically gutting the goose that lays the golden eggs right now, actually, and it's going to undo them at some point. I'm sure these energy companies will all find ways to make money off newer approaches to energy, but the monopolistic practices they've abused us with won't be in their bag of tricks anymore.

So, when I see technologies like this being developed by major corporations, I get excited. Particularly when it's from a foreign company such as ones in Japan where they have a very different idea towards energy and aren't strapped by Washington lobbyists and a government run by oilmen. It increases the chances that these new technologies will actually see the light of day. The ones that I do worry about are the small-time inventors in this country that get suppressed, sued, harassed or bought out with no corporate attorneys to protect them like the guys who have converted regular automobiles to run on regular old tap water (to the tune of 100 mpg, too). That's a technology that is viable and actually works but it will never see the light of day in this country thanks to the automobile and oil cartels.

jag

 

[knowsbleed]

As with any new technology... its going to be the initial price of the technology that people will be afraid of. Pretty much any eco friendly technology, be it hybrid cars, solor paneled houses, to stuff like this... will be extremely expensive in initial costs. If not for the materials but for the technology itself. But I agree with Jag that these things are glimpses into a more energy conscious society through technology.

 

[Cobblepot]

I wish they'd hurry up, we need cars on hydrogen and batteries on water stat.

 

[NHawk19]

I think it will. The grip of the traditional power companies is slowly slipping. The innovations happening in harnessing wind power (Google "wind turbine") and solar power cells (there was a recent innovation that will enable solar panels to be "printed" out of plastic sheets very cheaply) are starting to really pick up the pace. With coal and oil prices the way they are, people are becoming more open to using these kinds of renewable energy sources as well, especially since they're becoming more and more affordable. There's even talk of making some of these technologies mandatory in new home construction. The energy and utility companies are going to find themselves being forced to convert to a different business model of "energy broker" at some point, where they store the excess energy that is being sold to them by consumers with wind turbines and solar panels on their houses (yes, sold to them) and then turn around and sell that energy to industrial complexes and places that don't have enough energy for whatever reason (places with high energy consumption like Vegas or remote, poor places that need the energy but don't have the infrastructure to support renewable energy sources yet like smaller countries).

The world will change, regardless of what the energy companies do. Same goes for the stranglehold oil has on transportation and the economy. They've been able to suppress the pace at which renewable energy will eventually supplant them, but that's all they've been able to do; eventually they won't be able to do it any longer, though. Circumstances will change and put an absolute demand from consumer, political, economic and resource-availability perspectives that will make it absolutely necessary to move away from things like coal and oil. We're seeing the oil industry basically gutting the goose that lays the golden eggs right now, actually, and it's going to undo them at some point. I'm sure these energy companies will all find ways to make money off newer approaches to energy, but the monopolistic practices they've abused us with won't be in their bag of tricks anymore.

So, when I see technologies like this being developed by major corporations, I get excited. Particularly when it's from a foreign company such as ones in Japan where they have a very different idea towards energy and aren't strapped by Washington lobbyists and a government run by oilmen. It increases the chances that these new technologies will actually see the light of day. The ones that I do worry about are the small-time inventors in this country that get suppressed, sued, harassed or bought out with no corporate attorneys to protect them like the guys who have converted regular automobiles to run on regular old tap water (to the tune of 100 mpg, too). That's a technology that is viable and actually works but it will never see the light of day in this country thanks to the automobile and oil cartels.

jag

I see your points, and agree. All i was saying was that 2-5 years for commercial production is unlikely. I've acctually looked into putting solar panels on my roof to offset the rising costs of electricity.

The timeline is still 10-20 yrs (though I would say closer to 10 given current pressure) IMHO though as I dont see them happening with any kind of rapid pace. Power companies still are still a force in washington and they will argue how economies based upon coal mining etc. will be hurt by an immediate shift. Therefore I dont see building codes being updated in a timely fashion to include this, outside of places like CA where consumption simply cannot keep up with demand.

That said there is also a certification in construction known as LEED. It promotes green building. Both businesses and government are recognizing the value of the system as it relates to new construction. I would look for things like this to be utilized in buildings following going for this certification.

Hopefully they will have a working cost effective prototype soon though. I would love to incorporate it into my house.