Organic light emitting diode (OLED) development could be bringing illuminated wallpaper closer to living rooms. General Electric is working with student concepts at the Cincinnati Institute of Art (CIA) as the company continues to develop paper-thin OLEDs.

Students created hundreds of concepts taking advantage of the slim technology to bring light to safety clothing, stairs, signs and store displays. GE researchers and project management are currently reviewing them in Ohio and New York, with commercial dates being set in late 2010 or 2011.

Students were led by Douglas Paige, associate professor of industrial design at CIA, engaged students in a "Future Design Center" class, where GE held brainstorming sessions. A video released by GE covers the concepts, albeit with music less revolutionary than the ideas contained within the sketches.

OLEDs have been manufactured by giants like Samsung and Toshiba, who are working to refine the technology. They could allow for rollable screens or improvements on electronic book devices, as they require no backlight to function, adding to energy efficiency and reducing size.

The matrixes could find themselves in wallets or a remarkably fluid flexible lamp. OLEDs are challenged by the limited lifetime of the organic materials employed, but efforts like the student "consultants" at CIA may bring fresh ideas that will be as flexible as the technology aims to be.