MAYBVM

22 23 human-driven and autonomous cars. This market is providing significant opportunity for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) – they can be used to create better, more vivid displays, heads-up displays, and curved displays, which, thanks to OLEDs’ flexibility, can be placed in unique ways to avoid destroying the design/appearance of the dashboard area. In autonomous cars, the front dash won’t need displays, as no one will be sit- ting there – even Tesla’s Model 3 has no displays directly in front of the driver; the only display is in the center console. Thus, the inside of the car will more resemble an office or sitting room, with displays that can create a conference room atmosphere, others that can be used for writing surfaces, etc. WRITING SURFACES The world of eWriting surfaces has continued to evolve, with new products integrating estab- lished technologies in unique ways. For example, reMarkable’s Paper Tablet touts a lag-free read- ing, writing, and sketching experience for those who love paper, using an ePaper display unen- cumbered by an OS or apps. Another example is QuirkLogic’s Quilla, a digital alternative to flip charts and white boards.While fully equipped with displays, cameras, conference phones, etc., most modern conference rooms still use tradi- tional white boards. Quilla facilitates team collab- oration and interaction, regardless of members’ location. Others jumping on board the move to digitize the white board experience include Goo- gle, Cisco and Microsoft – all using LCD technol- ogy. SMART SURFACES The Internet of Things (IoT) concept is not new, OPENING LINES and now that it is becoming truly ingrained into everyday life, efforts are ramping up to employ connectivity in new ways –both large and small. One example, the Amazon Dash, allows the user to simply press a button when it’s time to reorder a staple household product. However, the Dash offers no visual confirmation of the order – and adding a display would do just that. For these kinds of products, a display would need to be small, inexpensive, easy to read, and able to last a long time on the same battery. The kind of ePa- per currently being used on shelf labels, made by companies such as Visionect, would be useful for this type of application, as well as for home appli- ances. On a larger scale, ePaper for outdoor displays is a growing trend. It can be used in myriad ways – for building signage, bus shelters, advertising on public transportation, and more. These smart surfaces are easily visible, regardless of weather, and their solar-enabled low power and wireless connectivity enable them to provide tremendous value to the user. ELECTRONIC SIGNAGE Indoor signs have traditionally been made of paper, plastic or metal, but LCD has been rapidly replacing them. An exciting trend in this market is flat-panel MicroLED technology. First devel- oped in 2000, MicroLEDs offer bright, beautiful images while omitting the pixelation that occurs with standard LED displays. Samsung provid- ed a glimpse of a MicroLED future at CES 2018 with “The Wall,” its striking 146-inch display that