https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521125055.htm Skip to main content ScienceDaily --------------------------------------------------------------------- Your source for the latest research news Follow: Facebook X/Twitter Subscribe: RSS Feeds Newsletter New! Sign up for our free email newsletter. Science News from research organizations --------------------------------------------------------------------- High-quality OLED displays now enabling integrated thin and multichannel audio Date: May 21, 2025 Source: Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) Summary: A research team has developed the world's first Pixel-Based Local Sound OLED technology. This breakthrough enables each pixel of an OLED display to simultaneously emit different sounds, essentially allowing the display to function as a multichannel speaker array. The team successfully demonstrated the technology on a 13-inch OLED panel, equivalent to those used in laptops and tablets. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY --------------------------------------------------------------------- A research team led by Professor Su Seok Choi of the Department of Electrical Engineering at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and PhD candidate Inpyo Hong of the Graduate Program in Semiconductor Materials and Devices has developed the world's first Pixel-Based Local Sound OLED technology. This breakthrough enables each pixel of an OLED display to simultaneously emit different sounds, essentially allowing the display to function as a multichannel speaker array. The team successfully demonstrated the technology on a 13-inch OLED panel, equivalent to those used in laptops and tablets. The research has been published online in the journal Advanced Science. Visuals Meet Audio: Toward a Multisensory Display Era While display technologies have evolved with significant advances in resolution, high dynamic range, and color accuracy -- particularly with OLEDs and QD-enhanced displays -- the industry now faces the need for breakthroughs that enhance not only image quality but also the realism and immersion of user experience. As visual technologies approach maturity, integrating multisensory inputs -- such as seeing, hearing, and touch -- into displays has become a new frontier. Therefore, now displays are no longer passive panels that simply show images; they are evolving into immersive interfaces that engage multiple human senses. Among these, sound plays a critical role: research indicates that audiovisual synchronization accounts for nearly 90% of perceived immersion. However, most current displays still require external soundbars or multi-channel speakers, which add bulk and create design challenges -- especially in compact environments like vehicle interiors, where integrating multiple speakers is difficult. OLEDs with Built-in Pixel-Based Sound: A Game Changer To address this, researchers have focused on integrating advanced sound capabilities directly into OLED panels, known for their slim, flexible form factors. While companies have explored attaching exciters to the back of TVs or bending OLEDs around speakers -- as seen at MWC 2024 by Samsung and OLED panel speaker by LG -- these methods still rely on bulky hardware and face challenges in accurate sound localization. The core issue is that traditional exciters -- devices that vibrate to produce sound -- are large and heavy, making it difficult to deploy multiple units without interference or compromising the OLED's thin design. Additionally, sound crosstalk between multiple speakers leads to a lack of precise control over localized audio. Crosstalk-Free Pixel-Based Local Sound Control integrated with real working OLED The POSTECH team overcame these challenges by embedding ultra-thin piezoelectric exciters within the OLED display frame. These piezo exciters, arranged similarly to pixels, convert electrical signals into sound vibrations without occupying external space. Crucially, they are fully compatible with the thin form factor of OLED panels. As a result, each pixel can act as an independent sound source, enabling Pixel-Based Local Sound technology. The researchers also developed a method to completely eliminate sound crosstalk, ensuring that multiple sounds from different regions of the display do not interfere with each other -- something previously unattainable in multichannel setups. Real Applications: Mobile, Tablet, Laptop, TV, Automotive, VR, and Beyond This innovation allows for truly localized sound experiences. For instance, in a car, the driver could hear navigation instructions while the passenger listens to music -- all from the same screen. In virtual reality or smartphones, spatial sound can dynamically adapt to the user's head or hand movements, enhancing realism and immersion. Most notably, the technology was successfully implemented on a 13-inch OLED panel, proving its practical scalability and commercial viability. The display delivers high-quality audio directly from the screen, without the need for external speakers, all while preserving the slim and lightweight benefits of OLED. A Word from the Researcher "Displays are evolving beyond visual output devices into comprehensive interfaces that engage both sight and sound," said Professor Su Seok Choi. "This technology has the potential to become a core feature of next-generation devices, enabling sleek, lightweight designs in smartphones, laptops, and automotive displays -- while delivering immersive, high-fidelity audio." Funding Acknowledgment This research was supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy under the Electronic Components Technology Innovation Program and the Graduate Program in Semiconductor Materials and Devices at POSTECH Key Highlights: * POSTECH developed the world's first Pixel-Based Local Sound OLED, where each pixel emits distinct sound. * The display integrates ultra-thin piezo exciters to achieve crosstalk-free multichannel audio. * Proven on a Real 13-inch OLED panel, the technology enables immersive sound directly from the screen -- no external speakers needed. * Opens new possibilities for automotive, VR, and mobile displays with slim, high-quality built-in sound * RELATED TOPICS + Matter & Energy o Acoustics o Technology o Engineering and Construction o Consumer Electronics + Computers & Math o Computer Graphics o Spintronics Research o Mobile Computing o Educational Technology * RELATED TERMS + Acoustics + Fireworks + Computer and video games + Local area network + Sound effect + Technology + Computer simulation + Mechanics --------------------------------------------------------------------- Story Source: Materials provided by Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH). Note: Content may be edited for style and length. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Journal Reference: 1. Inpyo Hong, Su Seok Choi. Localized Sound-Integrated Display Speaker Using Crosstalk-Free Piezoelectric Vibration Array. Advanced Science, 2025; DOI: 10.1002/advs.202414691 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cite This Page: * MLA * APA * Chicago Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH). "High-quality OLED displays now enabling integrated thin and multichannel audio." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 21 May 2025. . Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH). (2025, May 21). High-quality OLED displays now enabling integrated thin and multichannel audio. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 29, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521125055.htm Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH). "High-quality OLED displays now enabling integrated thin and multichannel audio." 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