SAN JOSE, Calif., 14 Aug. 2008.The FlexTech Alliance (formerly known as the U.S. Display Consortium, or USDC), devoted to developing the electronic display and flexible, printed electronics supply chain, won a one-year contract award with Raytheon Company in Plano, Texas, to produce display demonstration units for military application field trials. Ultralow-power, lightweight displays are of considerable interest for military applications where size, weight, and power (SWaP) can greatly impact soldiers' effectiveness in the field.
Ultralow-power displays can now use a new commercially available technology based on electrophoretic ink, which has many of the attributes needed for stringent military environment specifications.
E Ink Corp. has demonstrated ultralow power and daylight readability with its electrophoretic display technology, says a representative. Raytheon will modify an E Ink color research prototype to meet stringent military operational requirements, especially for dismounted soldier applications. The modification will address key military requirements, including power, communication range, and robustness. Raytheon will also characterize the suitability of the device for military use through destructive and non-destructive environmental testing.
"The scope of our project with the FlexTech Alliance is very comprehensive," states Jill Pate, program manager at Raytheon Company. "We will address the military operational requirements, as well as demonstrate the attributes of electrophoretic technology in a portable display device for military users."
Raytheon will integrate the new features of the modified E Ink electrophoretic display and develop a new housing, as well as conduct performance tests and characterize the device in terms of wireless range, power, readability, and update rate.
"The results the FlexTech Alliance wants from this project are the military's feedback on the demo unit performance in the field and how it meets qualifications across military specs--temperature, humidity, shock, and other critical factors," explains Dr. Mark Hartney, CTO of the FlexTech Alliance. "Adding a wireless link for platoon-level communications and offering an aggressive power-management scheme to enable longer-lasting field operations will enable more effective dismounted soldiers."
The FlexTech Alliance program is a collaborative effort of private industry and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, located in Adelphi, Md.
