April 25, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] LG Display is developing its own microdisplay technology for virtual reality and augmented reality devices to secure an early edge in the emerging market, news reports said on Nov. 14.

The company has been working together with a research team at Seoul-based Hanyang University with aims to complete the chip development possibly based on organic light-emitting diode displays next year. 

LG Electronics' 360 VR headset

LG has produced chips through its fabless chip design affiliate SiliconWorks.

Demand for microdisplays, smaller than 1-inch diagonally, is surging together with the VR wearable market. Especially, the processor chip plays a key role in controlling the energy use of the battery-based devices.

Currently, the microdisplay market is dominated by US firms like eMagin and Kopin.

Globaly Industry Analysts, a market research firm, predicted the market to soar from US$600 million last year to US$2.9 billion by 2020.

“If the company succeeds in adding phone call function to the microdisplay technology, it would open a new market that could gobble up the saturated smartphone market in the longer term,” an industry source was quoted as saying by Korea Economic Daily, a local business daily.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)