Samsung is testing stretchable displays with heartbeat sensor

According to Samsung, the researchers were able to integrate a stretchable OLED display along with a PPG sensor in a single device to measure as well as display a user’s heart rate in real-time.

June 09, 2021 12:48 pm | Updated June 12, 2021 11:46 am IST

Samsung's prototype stretchable display with heartbeat sensor.

Samsung's prototype stretchable display with heartbeat sensor.

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Consumer electronics maker Samsung has launched numerous displays over the years, including vibrant flexible displays in some of its premium devices. Its researchers are now exploring stretchable displays that can be expanded in any direction like rubber bands to change their shapes, the firm said in a statement.

A team of researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), Samsung’s R&D hub for cutting-edge future technologies, published their research about a technology that overcomes the limitations of stretchable devices, in the journal ‘Science Advances’ .

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According to Samsung, the researchers were able to integrate a stretchable organic LED (OLED) display along with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor in a single device to measure as well as display a user’s heart rate in real-time.

The team tested their work by attaching the stretchable PPG heart rate sensor and OLED display system to the inner wrist near the radial artery. They were able to confirm that both the sensor and display continued to function normally and did not show any performance decline with stretching of up to 30%, the tech giant said.

The South Korea-based firm claims the sensor and OLED display continued to work stably even after being stretched 1,000 times. Besides, when measuring signals from a moving wrist, the sensor picked up heartbeat signal 2.4 times stronger than it would have picked up by a fixed silicon sensor, the company added.

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“The strength of this technology is that it allows you to measure your biometric data for a longer period without having to remove the solution when you sleep or exercise, since the patch feels like part of your skin. You can also check your biometric data right away on the screen without having to transfer it to an external device,” Youngjun Yun, principal researcher at SAIT, explained in a statement.

Development and future applications

Usually, when a display is stretched, the device either breaks or its performance is affected. To address this issue, the researchers replaced the plastic material used in existing stretchable displays with elastomer – an advanced material with high elasticity and resilience, and further strengthened the material’s heat resistance, Samsung noted.

Moreover, they developed the stretchable sensor in a way that makes continuous heartbeat measurements possible by facilitating a close adhesion to the skin, which minimises performance inconsistencies that can be caused by movement, it explained.

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“Our research is still in the early stages, but our goal is to realise and commercialise stretchable devices by increasing system resolution, stretchability, and measurement accuracy to a level that makes mass production possible,” Jong Won Chung, principal researcher at SAIT, said in a statement.

“We plan to incorporate stretchable sensors and high-resolution freeform displays to enable users to monitor things like peripheral oxygen saturation, electromyogram readings and blood pressure.”

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