Non-Display Applications for Plastic Displays (Printed Electronics Europe 2015)

Plastic display technology developers have struggled to find high value applications for early market entry.High information content displays cannot immediately rival glass based displays. We present a number of non-traditional applications where we provide solutions based on guest-host liquid crystal (GHLC) plastic displays, enabled by the specific advantages of the substrates and optical modes.

John studied Engineering at Durham University, and Optics at Reading University. After working as a product design engineer he joined Hewlett Packard and helped found their UK based displays research group. In 2013 he and Steve Kitson set up Folium Optics to further the commercialisation of colourful, low power plastic displays.

Folium Optics is a new venture, founded in late 2013 by Steve Kitson and John Rudin, formerly at Hewlett Packard Laboratories Bristol. Folium Optics aims to commercialise low power, highly readable, full colour, reflective plastic displays. We believe that there is a huge market for sunlight readable signage, low power wearables, and robust products based on a significant improvement in the optical efficiency of colour display modes, and the adoption of plastic processing, leading to novel form factors and product design.

Folium Optics offers prototype development and fabrication from their cleanroom facilities in the UK, with links to European and worldwide manufacturing for volume.