Hyundai Mobis develops world’s first rollable vehicle display

Hyundai Mobis Co., the world’s sixth largest automotive components supplier, has developed a rollable vehicle display, the first of its kind in the world, set to be a game changer in the in-car experience sector emerging as a battleground between automakers and tech companies.

The auto component major under South Korea’s biggest auto group Hyundai Motor Group on Monday unveiled its rollable vehicle display, which can be rolled up and down depending on road conditions and functions. When the engine is turned off, the screen completely rolls inside the dashboard, the company said.

The rollable display form factor has been adopted in smartphones and TVs but not in cars until the introduction of Hyundai Mobis’ rollable screen for vehicles.

Hyundai Mobis will contact luxury car brands in North America and Europe to tap demand for the rollable display, which is already garnering interest from global finished car makers thanks to its advanced display technologies amid growing competition in the vehicle infotainment market.

BOLD INVESTMENT IN IN-VEHICLE INFOTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY 

“We will be a game changer in the automotive display market with distinguished technologies. We will take the lead in the global market by driving new trends in infotainment technologies,” said Han Young-hoon, vice president of the Electronics Convenience and Control (EC) division at Hyundai Mobis.

Hardware and software to enhance in-car experiences, like bigger screens and streaming and navigation apps, have rapidly grown into a major automotive industry market of late. The new growth market is tensely vied for by not only automakers but also tech companies.

Hoping to lead the infotainment display market, Hyundai Mobis has invested in developing the latest automotive display technology in the past two years.

In November last year, the company also unveiled the world’s first proximity detection pop-up screen that allows drivers to control an in-vehicle infotainment display with gestures.  

ROLLABLES TO LEAD INFOTAINMENT DISPLAY TRENDS

The company’s rollable screen is expected to significantly reduce display space in the car, allowing more flexibility in car interior designs, the company said.

The rollable screen takes up little car space measuring only 12 centimeters in depth to be hidden, allowing it to be installed not only in the car's dashboard but also on its ceiling.

When a car is on the move, only one-third of the screen can be rolled out to show minimum driving information, or two-thirds of the screen for navigation information. When the car is stopped for gas, charging or parking, a full screen in the 30-inch range can be rolled out for TV or movie watching or games, according to the company.

The rollable screen is built on a quad high-definition (QHD) display with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.