AUO showed microLED-based automotive displays at DisplayWeek 2024. I’m at the AUO booth at DisplayWeek 2024, exploring their latest microLED devices. All AUO microLED displays use devices about 30 microns in size, built on LTPS backplanes, mostly on glass substrates, with one flexible version on a polyimide substrate.
Automotive Applications
Textured Center Console Display
- Designed for automobiles.
- Features a wood-grain aesthetic with a display behind it that can turn on or off.
- Transmissivity: ~80%, significantly higher than competing solutions.
- Creates a premium, integrated look for vehicle interiors.
Privacy Solution
- A 21-inch active-matrix microLED display combined with a separate LCD panel for privacy control.
- Uses a zonal approach:
- Different zones can be controlled independently by driver or passenger.
- When privacy mode is engaged:
- Transmission drops to ~0.5%, effectively blocking visibility.
- Ideal for passenger-side displays in vehicles.
Transparent Dashboard Display
- Size: 13.5 inches, fully transparent.
- Intended for placement on the dashboard with visibility through the windshield.
- Not a full HUD, not a CID—more of a hybrid concept for enhanced functionality.
Integrated Camera Concept
- Transparent microLED display combined with an opaque backplane and camera module.
- Camera integrated behind the transparent display as a single sensor unit with its own lens.
- Future vision:
- Replace monolithic CMOS sensor with distributed sensing between microLED pixels.
- Leverages space between LEDs for embedded sensing.
Why It Matters
AUO’s microLED innovations deliver:
- High transparency for automotive integration.
- Dynamic privacy control for passenger displays.
- Hybrid dashboard concepts for next-gen vehicles.
- Sensor integration for advanced functionality.