TV manufacturers have been focusing on pixel development for years, looking for ways to make them smaller to improve pixel density and resolution, trying to make them brighter, and increase the accuracy of colour reproduction.
But one group of researchers has looked at pixel development from another angle, and they have come up with an entirely new kind of OLED panel that uses each individual pixel to generate sound.
That’s according to Science Daily, which said a team of researchers at South Korea’s Pohang University of Science and Technology has built a 13-inch OLED prototype that’s able to generate multi-channel sound with much greater precision than any speaker or soundbar.
The team explains in a research paper that their “'Pixel-Based Local Sound OLED technology” is designed to improve the accuracy of positional sound beyond what traditional speakers are capable of.
In the paper, they note that the conventional “exciters” found in speakers, which vibrate to generate sound, are too large and heavy, which makes it “difficult to deploy multiple units without interference or compromising the OLED's thin design.” In addition, they say that issues relating to “sound crosstalk” between each exciter makes it difficult to enable precise control over localised audio.
To fix this problem, they embedded what they call “pizeo-electric exciters” within the OLED panel. They’re small enough that they can be arranged in the same fashion as the pixels, so there’s one piezo-electric exciter for each pixel. What they do is convert the electrical signal from each pixel into sound vibrations that emanate directly from the panel. What’s more, they don’t occupy any additional space in the display, which makes them ideal for the thin form-factor of modern OLED panels.
In other words, each pixel has become an independent source of sound. Moreover, the researchers claim they completely eliminated the problem of crosstalk, so the sound emanating from the pixels doesn’t interfere with that generated by any of the others. As such, the audio quality should be crystal clear.
The researchers say the technology has potential for applications besides televisions. For instance, they believe it could be useful for car infotainment systems, enabling them to send different audio to each person sitting in the car. While the driver might receive vocal directions telling them where they need to go, the passenger sat next to them would only hear music from the radio.
Professor Su Seok Choi, who led the team, said the Pixel-Based Local Sound OLED technology could one day become a core component of consumer devices such as TVs, monitors, smartphones and tablets. He believes it can lead to the development of “sleek, lightweight designs in smartphones, laptops, and automotive displays – while delivering immersive, high-fidelity audio."
It’s an exciting concept to be sure, but it must be reiterated that the technology is currently just a proof of concept, and very far away from becoming an actual product. For one thing, it remains to be seen yet just how good the audio quality is. There’s also the challenge of scaling the technology up. Just because it works in a 13-inch OLED display, there’s no guarantee it will function in today’s super-sized OLED TVs.
In addition, it’s not clear how much this technology would cost. Unless it’s possible to manufacture the tech at a price that consumers can stomach, it’s unlikely to become commercially widespread anytime soon.
