Electroluminescence catches the public eye: Rugged, readable, and compact, electroluminescent technology is breaking the price barrier: Designers are now using it in middle-range products

Marines from the Second Radio Battalion slid swiftly down a dangling rope in May 1985 from a CH-46 “Huey” helicopter as part of an exercise, Solid Shield 85, at Camp LeJeune, N.C. As the Huey hovered, a pulley was rigged to allow the marines on the ground to lower the cargo. First out was Alice (Aluminum Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment), a pack containing a communications radio, batteries, and a 10-kilogram GRiDSE-T personal computer with an electroluminescent glass display. As Alice started its descent, the helicopter unexpectedly rose, jerking the pulley rope from the hands of a surprised marine. The pack plummeted 12 meters and slammed into the sandy ground. One of the marines rushed to the computer and turned it on. The EL display glowed orange-yellow, and he began typing in commands. In the finest U.S. Marine Corps tradition, the computer worked perfectly [Fig. 1].