Automotive

AUO announced that it will showcase new microLED display prototypes and technologies at Touch Taiwan next week. First up, the company has demonstrated a 42-inch single module microLED, which is said to be the world's largest (beating AUO's own record at 31-inch from 2024). The module offers a brightness of up to 1,000 nits, and AUO is showing a 127-inch tiled TV made up from these new modules. AUO will also show a full range of microLED TVs, developed in collaboration with Samsung Electronics. These TVs are based on AUO's MicroLED backplane technology.

Another new display will be the world's thinnest 17.3-inch dual-sided transparent Micro LED display.  AUO did not detail any more information on that display - or just how thin is it. Among its use cases are interactive, first-class cabin interfaces that facilitate seamless communication between passengers and flight attendants via real-time translation on a transparent screen. The display also has use in commercial advertising, home decoration, points of sales and many other fields where the display can increase tech and style while also transmitting information.

In August 2023, China-based BOE HC Semitek started building its $700 million microLED epiwafer production line in Jinwan District, Zhuhai, China. In October 2024, the company announced that it started producing sample wafers.

A few days ago the company held a ceremony as it is starting to mass produce 6-inch microLED wafers, as the project enters its commercial stage. BOE now has a full microLED industry chain, from epiwafers to modules and applications.

In Displayweek 2024, Tianma demonstrates several microLED prototypes, including a 7.6" 167 PPI (1204x398) 5,000 nits microLED display based HUD. The display was first developed in 2023.

Tianma now announced that it has developed a second generation HUD display, tha achieves double the brightness (10,000 nits). The company refers to this display as the 8 MicroLED IRIS HUD display. Tianma also said that the new display offers a "refined and compact design that provides greater flexibility for automotive interior integration", and it also boasts "significantly enhanced image quality, featuring more vibrant colors and richer details".

AUO collaborated with Sony Honda Mobility and demonstrated a microLED "media bar" mounted on the exterior f Sony Honda's AFEELA 1 car, at CES 2025. AUO says that this is a groundbreaking application that connects the cockpit to the world outside the vehicle, inspiring innovative car designs. 

This is indeed the first application of Micro LED displays on a vehicle’s exterior. The two companies explain that the Media Bar can be used to show a diverse range of information, including charging status and vehicle details with unobstructed visibility. Vehicle occupants could engage with the outside world from within the cockpit by displaying personalized content on the media bar, such as videos, pictures, and unique messages.

AUO is showcasing its latest microLED technologies at CES 2025, focusing on automotive solutions, under the Smart Cockpit 2025 platform. The company is demonstrating several novel applications, enabled by the transparent and flexibility of microLED displays.

So first up we have the Virtual Sky Canopy, and XR Interactive Window technology - both of these adopt the use of tiled transparent microLED displays to embed within the car windows and windows, and extend the display beyond the normal instrument cluster and information displays.

MicroSolid Printing pioneer VueReal is going to unveil several new technologies and products at CES, as the company gets ready for microLED display commercialization. VueReal wants companies to take advantage of the unique properties of microLED displays (mainly the customized production process and the high transparency and high brightness) and this year it will focus on new applications that can be enabled only by microLEDs.

First up, VueReal is launching new microLED Design Reference Kits to enable product designers to buy display samples and integrate into new designs. The first kit will provide microLED-powered lighting panels. These resemble OLED lighting panels - area lighting that is uniform. But unlike OLEDs, microLEDs will provide high brightness, long lifetime, and reduced costs. These are basically monochrome simple displays, and VueReal will offer either in native colour (R, G, B) or phosphor coated (white, red, amber).

Trendforce analysts say that microLED chip revenues is set to grow from around $27.5 million in 2023 to $489.5 million by 2028, driven by adoption of microLED displays in automotive and AR applications.

The industry still suffers from technology challenges and high production costs, which means that demand for microLED displays is weak. Trendforce actually reduced its previous estimation (just a few months ago, it estimated that sales will reach almost $580 million in 2028).

MicroLED microdipslay developer Mojo Vision, a MicroLED Industry Association member, announced a partnership with CY Vision to develop next-generation heads-up displays (HUDs) for the automotive market.

These HUDs will use Mojo Vision's microLED technology, and will also leverage AI and 3D imaging to provide drivers with an "immersive and personalized driving experience with informative, line-of-sight overlays that promote driver safety and provide essential information".

MicroLED display developer VueReal announced that it plans to double its microLED manufacturing space. VueReal says that its upgraded and expanded facilities serve as both a production center for its customers and also as a blueprint for its partners to build their own fabs.

VueReal is currently offering microLED display production for the automotive market, and it is now also entering the consumer market, targeting wearable devices, TVs, IT applications, and AR products with its MicroSolid Printing platform. 

We're happy to interview Tobias Steinel Ph.D., works as a product manager at Instrument Systems GmbH, as part of our series of interviews with MicroLED Industry Association members. Germany based Instrument Systems manufacturers high-precision spectrometers, complex systems and software solutions for spectral light measurements.

Tobias is responsible for Instrument Systems’ measurement portfolio in the field of microLED optical testing and AR/VR/MR applications.

Can you please introduce your company and technology? 

With facilities in Munich and Berlin, Germany, Instrument Systems develops and produces high-end light measurement technology for flat panel displays, micro-displays, near-to-eye displays, automotive lighting, VCSEL systems and LED/SSL modules. Our color and light measurement solutions are used in display production sites worldwide. In addition to the manufacture of measuring equipment, our core competence is that our accredited test laboratory guarantees independent, reliable and comparable measurement results for every measuring device purchased. These can be traced back directly to the reference standards of national metrology institutes.