California-based DPI Labs has announced the availability of their new large-format 4K ultra-high definition (UHD), slim, ultra-lightweight, OLED displays for business and VVIP aircraft cabins.

Branded DPI SmartCanvas™, the 55” and 65” OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) cabin displays were installed in January, 2021 on a VVIP Boeing 767 at a completion centre in Arizona. The installation included a complete DPI cabin management system consisting of passenger and cabin crew control panels, audio/video distribution, cabin control modules and DPI’s multi-coloured LED cabin lighting. The new OLED large format displays are DO-160 compliant and PMA is expected within the next month.

“DPI Labs has a long history of firsts and innovation within the business and military aviation markets,” said DPI’s VP sales and business development, Scott DeSmet, “We’re proud to be first to bring the OLED large-format display technology and experience to the business and VVIP industry and continue our tradition of excellence and ingenuity.”

Unlike LED technology, which has been traditionally installed in aircraft cabins for passenger information and entertainment, OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) have self-illuminating pixels and do not require the extra physical layers inside the display for backlighting that LED monitors do. This makes OLED displays much thinner, lighter and allows for infinite contrast ratio and a wide viewing angle.

For comparison, a typical 65” aircraft display using LED technology weighs about 75 pounds (34 Kg) and is about 2.0” (50.8 mm) thick, where DPI’s 65” OLED display weighs-in at just 24 pounds (10.89 Kg) and is only 0.36” (9 mm) thick. As a reference, a typical economy airline seat weighs between 74-84 pounds (33.6 – 38 Kg).

The displays’ low weights and extremely shallow depths have other  impacts on cabin design and overall aircraft weight, DeSmet explains: “Historically, in order to install screens this large using LED technology, the bulkhead would have had to be modified and significantly reinforced structurally in order to support the excessive mass. This adds even more overall aircraft weight and takes up additional cabin space. With our OLED displays we’re able to actually flush-mount them into a standard bulkhead, displacing bulkhead weight and material and take up zero cabin space. These are rare win-wins for our industry when we can both greatly enhance the passenger experience and reduce weight and installation time and cost.”

Another feature of DPI Lab’s  OLED displays is their ability operate with a bend radius of 1 meter either horizontally or vertically allowing them to conform to curved surfaces such as aircraft headliners and sidewalls.

The SmartCanvas Display Line is part of DPI’s SmartLink Cabin Management System which includes passenger controls, cabin switching modules, LED cabin lighting and HD-UHD audio-video distribution for both new aircraft installations and retrofitting legacy aircraft systems. The company plans on launching a 33” OLED Q3 of this year.