Living Interface in Vehicles: The Future of UX Changed by Stretchable Micro LED

As displays have become a core interface that influences the overall user experience beyond a component of the vehicle interior, technological evolution is also reaching a new turning point. The technology at the center of this is ‘Stretchable Micro LED’. This display, which can be freely applied to curved surfaces as well as implemented with elasticity and three-dimensional physical manipulation, is drawing attention as the future of digital interfaces, especially in the automobile industry.

Initially, stretchable OLED based on organic materials was studied as a promising technology candidate. OLED has strengths in thin film and self-luminous structure, and is also relatively advanced in terms of yield. However, OLED has a structure that is vulnerable to moisture and oxygen, so TFE (Thin Film Encapsulation) is essential, and it is difficult for this encapsulation layer to secure both flexibility and stretchability. In particular, in an environment where the display is stretched, the encapsulation layer may crack or it is difficult to maintain uniformity, so the actual stretch ratio of OLED that can be stretched is limited to 10% or less. Accordingly, the industry has recently shifted its focus back to Micro LED, as research on stretchable displays that was once conducted based on OLED.

Micro LEDs are composed of inorganic-based components, so they can operate stably even in harsh environments inside a vehicle, such as high temperatures, vibrations, and ultraviolet rays. In fact, in 2023, Samsung Display unveiled an 11-inch stretchable micro LED prototype and demonstrated a stretch ratio of 25%.

However, stretchable micro LEDs are not yet technically complete. The most important challenge is productivity. Micro LED chips must be accurately transferred in millions of units, but if the substrate is a stretchable soft material, it is very difficult to secure transfer precision. Another challenge is cover fusion technology for implementing touch and operability. Since stretchable displays are implemented on soft substrates such as silicone rubber, they are fundamentally limited in terms of touch sensitivity and durability. In particular, to implement precise touch recognition or physical operability, a hard cover layer like glass is required. Accordingly, the industry is focusing on developing hybrid cover materials that can simultaneously satisfy flexibility and rigidity, and high-elasticity hard polymers and film-glass composite structures are being considered as viable alternatives.

A representative example that showed the practical possibility of stretchable displays is LG Display’s ‘3D interface type stretchable display’ unveiled at SID 2025. This technology has a structure in which the surface rises in response to the user’s movements, and has garnered attention as an HMI that can provide not only visual information but also physical feedback. Also, at CES 2025, AUO unveiled a ‘3D stretchable display’ with a similar concept. This display is composed of stretchable micro LEDs, and when the user touches or raises their hand, the display locally rises, allowing it to be operated like an actual button.

Automotive interiors are gradually evolving into ‘digital sculptures’, and displays are playing a central role in delivering real-time responsiveness and emotional experiences. Stretchable micro LEDs are not simply displays that can be stretched, but are evolving into ‘three-dimensional interfaces’ that can organically connect the entire physical space of a car. Although there are still technical challenges to be solved, if cover substrates, touch integration, and large-area precision transfer technologies are completed, this technology will become an essential core axis in future vehicle interior UX design.

Changwook HAN, Executive Vice President/Analyst at UBI Research (cwhan@ubiresearch.com)

2025 Automotive Display Technology and Industry Trends Analysis Report