One of the world\u2019s leaders in liquid-display technology has selected a UCF project led by professor Debashis Chanda and graduate student Daniel Franklin for its \u00a0\u201c2016 Displaying Futures Award.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Germany-based company Merck selected UCF\u2019s plasmatic full-color display project as its top pick from 30 others in an exclusive invitation-only competition.<\/p>\n
Ten international finalist teams \u00a0pitched their ideas and showcased their prototypes to Merck leaders. Then they answered detailed questions before a panel of judges and \u00a0live audience during the final evaluation.<\/p>\n
According to Merck, the goal of the new award is to identify new display applications and support further development of the materials.<\/p>\n
As part of the prize, UCF\u2019s team will receive mentoring from experts within and outside of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, access to a global network, and financial support.<\/p>\n
Teams from Kent State University and the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands were also named winners.<\/p>\n
Chanda, a nanoscience and CREOL researcher and professor, and Franklin, a physics doctoral candidate, along with Silicon Valley investor Negendra Nagarajayya agreed to enter the team\u2019s work in the competition because Merck is an industry leader, Chanda said.<\/p>\n
The team developed a breakthrough technology last year that produced the full-color, flexible think-film reflective display. The team\u2019s work was published in the Nature Communications journal. Since then the team has enhanced its technology. Franklin has been engineering the electronic modifications necessary to integrate the film into current technology, while the team continues to look for futuristic applications.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis display will change the world market,\u201d said Sudipta Seal, director of UCF\u2019s NanoScience Technology Center. \u201cThis is the kind of impactful research we strive for here.\u201d<\/p>\n
For example, there is the promise that the film could be used to turn bulky virtual reality helmets used for gaming and simulated military training, into a simple pair of sunglasses. The glasses would provide the high resolution needed for a complete virtual world.<\/p>\n
The film could be used with pico-projectors that could shoot high- resolution, life-like images used as roadside billboards with video- playing ability. Another option: a wearable cloth-mounted display for maps and health-information monitoring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese applications are still a few years away,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cBut they are within the realm of possibility. So much is happening in optics and nanotech right now, it\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The award comes with $50,000 seed money, Chanda said<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of other teams had working prototypes that were really sharp,\u201d Chanda said. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t build a prototype in the absence of funding. We need venture capitalists for that, so I focused on the sound science. We\u2019ve proven it can work and Merck agreed. Now we hope more investors step forward to bring this to market.\u201d<\/p>\n
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