English
Camera Modules in Next-Gen Transparent Displays: Bridging Optics, AI, and Real-World Interaction
Created on 02.04
Transparent displays are no longer confined to sci-fi movies or concept labs. From Dubai’s Museum of the Future, where curved glass walls render real-time energy data, to Mercedes’ Vision EQXX concept car with blind-spot-eliminating transparent A-pillars, this technology is reshaping how we interact with digital content in physical spaces. At the heart of this revolution lies a critical yet underdiscussed component:camera modules. Unlike traditional cameras that sit outside displays, next-gen transparent screens demand integrated imaging solutions that balance display quality, optical performance, and seamless design. This article explores how camera modules are evolving to unlock the full potential of transparent displays, the technical tradeoffs being overcome, and the transformative use cases on the horizon.
The Core Conflict: Transparency vs. Imaging Quality
The fundamental challenge of integrating camera modules with transparent displays boils down to a paradox: displays are engineered to emit light uniformly, while cameras require unobstructed light intake to capture clear images. This tension is most evident in the two dominant transparent display technologies—OLED and Micro-LED—and how they interact with under-display camera (UDC) systems.
Transparent OLED (T-OLED) displays, though widely adopted in consumer electronics, struggle with light transmittance. Even optimized T-OLED panels achieve a maximum transmittance of just 18%, with only 20% of the screen surface acting as an "open area" for light to pass through. PenTile matrix OLEDs, common in mobile devices, fare worse: despite a slightly larger open area (23%), their complex pixel structure reduces transmittance to a mere 3% and introduces unwanted color shifts. These limitations force manufacturers to make painful compromises: increasing the open area to improve camera performance degrades display brightness and uniformity, while boosting display quality leaves cameras starved for light.
The problem deepens with diffraction—a phenomenon where light bends around the screen’s pixel structures, corrupting image data. Each pixel acts as a tiny obstacle, scattering light into "side lobes" that blur the final image. Microsoft’s Applied Sciences team found that T-OLED displays produce strong, concentrated side lobes near the main light source, while P-OLEDs generate weaker but more widely distributed ones. For end-users, this translates to blurry selfies, washed-out video calls, and visible camera "notches" even when the display is active—issues that plagued early UDC phones like the ZTE Axon 20 5G.
Micro-LED: The Game-Changer for Integrated Cameras
If OLED represents the current state of transparent displays, Micro-LED is the future—especially for camera integration. Unlike OLEDs, Micro-LEDs feature significantly larger open pixel areas, as their tiny self-illuminating diodes require less space per pixel. This natural advantage eliminates the tradeoff between display brightness and camera light intake that plagues OLED systems.
IdeaFarm LLC’s breakthrough Micro-LED solution exemplifies this potential. The company’s wafer-level micro-camera array is integrated directly onto the display’s driver backplane during manufacturing, turning camera modules into a native part of the screen rather than an afterthought. Multiple low-resolution micro-cameras capture footage simultaneously, which is then stitched into high-resolution video via real-time image processing. This approach offers three key benefits: no loss in display uniformity (since cameras do not sit beneath illuminated pixels), thinner device profiles (no need for separate camera housing), and flexible camera placement (critical for large displays like conference monitors, where center positioning reduces video call gaze parallax).
Micro-LED’s durability further strengthens its case. Unlike OLEDs, which suffer from reduced lifespan when pixels near cameras are over-driven to maintain brightness, Micro-LEDs handle higher current densities without degradation. This means transparent displays can maintain consistent performance for years—essential for commercial applications like retail windows and building facades, where replacement costs are prohibitive.
AI-Powered Image Correction: Fixing Optics with Software
While Micro-LED addresses hardware limitations, software—specifically machine learning (ML)—is bridging the gap for existing OLED-based transparent displays. Microsoft’s research into ML-driven UDC systems has yielded promising results, using supervised learning to reverse distortions caused by diffraction and low transmittance.
The process begins with training ML models on thousands of image pairs: raw, distorted footage captured through a transparent display and corresponding high-quality reference images. The model learns to identify and suppress side lobes, correct color shifts, and restore sharpness in real time. For T-OLED displays, this means neutralizing concentrated side lobes to reduce blur; for P-OLEDs, it involves addressing sparse, wide-ranging diffraction patterns. Combined with active sensing hardware techniques, ML is transforming under-display cameras from a novelty into a practical solution.
Beyond image correction, AI enables contextual camera functionality. Imagine a transparent retail display that uses integrated cameras to detect customer demographics (age, gender) and adjust content accordingly—all while remaining invisible to the viewer. Or a smart home mirror that identifies users via facial recognition and displays personalized health data, with the camera hidden behind the reflective surface. These use cases rely on AI to process camera data without compromising the display’s primary function.
Transformative Use Cases: From Consumer Tech to Smart Cities
The fusion of advanced camera modules and transparent displays is unlocking applications across industries, redefining what screens can do. Let’s explore the most promising sectors:
1. Video Conferencing and Collaboration
Eye contact is the cornerstone of effective communication, yet traditional video conferencing systems fail to replicate it—cameras above displays force users to choose between looking at the screen (no eye contact) or the camera (missing visual cues). Transparent displays with integrated cameras solve this by placing the lens where the remote participant’s face appears on the screen. For large conference room displays, Micro-LED’s flexible camera placement eliminates the "looking down" effect of top-mounted cameras, creating a more natural face-to-face experience. Microsoft’s research shows this reduces conversational awkwardness and improves information retention in remote meetings.
2. Automotive Innovation
Transparent displays are poised to revolutionize in-car interfaces, with camera modules enabling safety and convenience features. Transparent A-pillars, like those in the Mercedes Vision EQXX, use cameras mounted outside the vehicle to project real-time footage onto the pillar’s display, eliminating blind spots. Inside the cabin, transparent dashboards can integrate facial recognition cameras to detect driver drowsiness or distraction, adjusting alerts based on the driver’s state. Future iterations may even use gesture-tracking cameras to control the display without physical touch, enhancing safety.
3. Retail and Digital Signage
Retailers are already adopting transparent LED displays for window showcases that double as digital billboards, and integrated cameras will take this a step further. Smart displays can track customer engagement—how long a shopper pauses, which products they focus on—and adjust content in real time. For example, a clothing store window could display a model wearing a jacket, then switch to a different color when a camera detects a customer looking at that item. These systems also enable interactive experiences: shoppers can wave at the display to trigger product demos, with cameras capturing their gestures to personalize the interaction.
4. Smart Buildings and Architecture
Transparent displays are becoming "building materials," with camera modules enabling intelligent facades and interiors. Office glass walls can act as transparent displays that show meeting room availability, with cameras detecting occupancy to update statuses automatically. In smart cities, transparent curtain walls can integrate cameras for traffic monitoring, environmental sensing, or security—all while maintaining the building’s aesthetic appeal. As TrendForce predicts, the commercial display segment will account for 35% of transparent screen installations by 2030, driven by these architectural applications.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
Despite rapid progress, hurdles remain. Cost is a major barrier: transparent Micro-LED displays are currently prohibitively expensive, with a projected market size of just $406 million by 2027. However, as manufacturing processes like mass transfer mature, costs are expected to drop—potentially triggering a replacement wave by 2026, when Micro-LED prices fall below those of high-end OLEDs.
Regulatory and privacy concerns also loom large. Transparent displays with hidden cameras blur the line between public and private spaces, raising surveillance-related questions. Governments are starting to respond: the EU is considering classifying "transparent interactive surfaces" as building components, while China plans to introduce cross-ministerial regulations by 2025 to address data privacy and safety standards. Manufacturers must prioritize privacy-by-design features—such as on-device AI processing and clear user consent mechanisms—to comply with emerging rules.
Technically, researchers are pushing for higher transmittance (targeting 90% or more for Micro-LEDs) and brighter displays (up to 5,000 nits) to eliminate the "dark room" stigma associated with current transparent screens. Advances in flexible substrates will also enable foldable and rollable transparent displays, expanding their use in wearables and portable devices.
Conclusion: Cameras as the Catalyst for Transparent Display Adoption
Camera modules are not just add-ons to next-gen transparent displays—they are the enablers of their true potential. By resolving the optical conflicts between display and imaging functions, leveraging Micro-LED’s hardware advantages, and harnessing AI for real-time correction, manufacturers are turning transparent screens from futuristic curiosities into practical tools.
The future of transparent displays is one where screens cease to be passive surfaces and become active, intelligent interfaces that bridge the digital and physical worlds. Whether it’s a conference room display that fosters natural collaboration, a retail window that engages shoppers personally, or a car pillar that saves lives, camera modules will be at the center of this transformation. As technology matures and costs decline, we can expect transparent displays to become as ubiquitous as traditional screens—redefining how we see, interact with, and connect to the world around us.
Contact
Leave your information and we will contact you.
WhatsApp
WeChat