The World’s First OLED Lamp

You may have just heard of the Sony XEL-1 OLED TV or of OLED Televisions in general. But OLED technology is being explored in many more areas, not just OLED displays.

OLED is a subject of extensive research in the area of lighting products. In April 2008, Ingo Maurer unveiled “Early Future”, a table light constructed of several flat OLED panels on a central arm. This is the world’s first OLED lamp.

Future applications of OLED for lighting include interior lighting for automobiles, billboards, and panels used to light homes and offices. Panels can be less than 1mm thick, enabling them to be placed on ceilings, or in spaces that need flexible lighting. The light is very even, having no “hot spots”, and requires less energy than fluorescents.

There is much speculation about who will dominate the future of OLED technology. Sony has dedicated $203 million to develop their manufacturing infrastructure. Samsung is investing $529 million to improve its production capacity. Matsushita, the parent of Panasonic, is building a $2.8 billion LCD plant that is rumoured to be planning test production of 40 in. OLED displays that could be in mass production as soon as 2011.

Devices currently in the marketplace include cell phones, portable audio/video players, watches, digital cameras, electronic oral surgery instruments, along with the Sony XEL-1 television.