OLED displays may add video and graphics and give board games new life.
At Canada’s Queen University, computer researchers are about as game obsessed as a teen with a brand new XBox 360 and a brand new copy of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. However, the cutting edge research of these gamers isn’t on video games, but BOARD GAMES! Thanks to OLEDs.
Organic Light Emitting Diodes, OLEDs, are currently being used for tiny displays such as MP3 players because they are very bright, detailed, and use very little power. So they make the ideal platform to give board games an upgrade. The idea is that with tiny OLED displays built into a game piece or board, the game can take on a more interactive component. The current work is using an overhead camera and pico projector that interfaces with the game pieces to project the action. Imagine moving into a neighboring country in the game of RISK and then seeing the game play out an invasion scenario including casualties, prisoners, and losses. Suddenly, the game takes on a more serious and exciting edge. Then there’s a classic game like Battleship, which would give it yet another graphical component. It can and for role playing games, OLED displays can create more detailed maps of where a party comes and goes and shows a ton of action to boot.
The only real downside with OLED displays, is that the larger they get, the more expensive they become, which is a reason why it’ll be a long time before they make their way into HDTVs of any appreciable size. It just gets too expensive to make. But in the end, if manufacturing can get cost effective, it’s certain that the old school gaming would could take full advantage of it.
Hat Tip – Ubergizmo