Flat screen displays currently used in computer monitors, television sets and numerous other electronic devices are all built on a glass base. Most use liquid crystal devices (LCDs), which filter light from behind to form an image.
But the glass substrate makes LCD displays rigid and fragile, limiting their use. Now display manufacturers are working to develop a new generation of robust, flexible displays that can be curved to fit the shape of a product or even rolled up like a magazine. The question is, which of the technologies under development is the best?
Big industrial names such as Nokia, Thales and Philips, as well as universities, research centres and many small and medium-sized businesses have pooled their skills and expertise to thoroughly test a large number of materials and techniques.