Turkish defense giant develops innovative new screens

Leading Turkish defense company Aselsan has invented a graphene-based OLED screen prototypes with what it says is the highest pixel resolution yet achieved.

The prototype was developed in cooperation with Sabancı University's Nanotechnology Research and Application Center under the "Elmas" project run by the Defense Industries Undersecretariat Presidency, Aselsan representatives told Anadolu Agency.

The project produced the first monochrome miniature screens that can function without backlighting, they said.

The results of the graphene-based OLED screen development effort were presented at the Eurodisplay Conference in Berlin by Ismet Kaya, a professor at Istanbul's Sabanci University.

The Journal of the Society for Information Display also invited the researchers to publish their results as a paper.

The active matrix feature and color pixel structures of OLED technology -- an alternative to standard LCD screens -- would enable a special design for miniature or large-screen original displays to be used for military purposes at desired sizes.

These products could also be used in thermal vision and avionic applications, said Aselsan.

The transparent, flexible, lightweight, and portable graphene-based displays are expected to replace existing solutions in the military and civilian sectors, it added.

Graphene materials are also expected to play a key role in future flexible displays and wearable technology applications.

Graphene -- a carbon crystal only a single atom thick -- is expected to find applications in many technologies with its light permeability, high conductivity, strength, and flexibility.

Graphene was discovered in 2004, winning the researchers responsible the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010.

Founded in 1975 in the capital Ankara, Aselsan, which produces military radios and defense electronic systems for the Turkish Armed Forces, is seen as Turkey's premier defense systems producer.