Researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) have created an OLED “skin” display that can be stretched up to 30 percent and remain stable even after being stretched 1,000 times. It can allow for more accurate biometric measurements while being adhered to the skin. One test showed it having 2.4 times stronger sensitivity for a heartbeat signal than a fixed silicon sensor. The device can be worn for longer periods, allowing the user to engage in activities such as exercise or sleep.
The SAIT research team was able to integrate a stretchable organic LED (OLED) display and a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor in a single device to measure and display the user’s heart rate in real-time, thus creating the ‘stretchable electronic skin’ form factor. The success of this test case proves the feasibility of expanding the technology to further applications. This research is expected to increase the uptake of stretchable devices in the future.
Source: Samsung