Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N171-004

Description

To address the USMCs need for a collapsible electronic paper technology acting as a plug-in screen to a laptop device, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Reconfigurable Flexible and Expandable (REFLEX) Display system based on a novel hybrid integration of flexible EPD and OLED display with smart-display features such as glove-friendly touch interaction, battery power management, and POCs core expertise in military-qualified display systems. Specifically, the innovations in hybrid tiled EPD and auxiliary OLED support the collapsible form-factor and built-in processor for disconnected operation. As a result, REFLEX offers sunlight and low-light readability, enabling Marine Maintainers to view schematic diagrams, drawings, etc. at the point of maintenance, and to access full-motion video through standard interfaces including USB, VGA, and HDMIall while complying with MIL-STD-810, which directly address the USMC requirements. In Phase I, POC plans to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of REFLEX concept through material testing and modeling, leading to a prototype. In Phase II, POC will fabricate and test up to three prototype systems based on Phase I results and assess prototype capabilities to meet USMC requirements, proceeding directly to Phase III transition with low-rate initial production of evaluation devices and follow-on acquisition strategy.