Window that gets opaque with current

[kevinthenerd]

I once saw in an Edmund Scientific catalog a window that turns from transparent to opaque almost instantly with the application of a small amount of current. I can't seem to find it. Does anyone know where I can find such a thing?

 

[z0mb13]

I saw this at the prada store in soho (NY)

 

[Cashmoney995]

Saw it on a new Pimp my ride episode.

And here...

The power of google:

http://www.switchlite.com/home.html

 

[FoBoT]

there are some old threads about it, but you can't find them with the b0rked search

 

[Howard]

http://home.howstuffworks.com/smart-window.htm

 

[edro]

We have a "Customer Room" here at work that over looks a test station and factory floor that is lined with this glass.

Ours is a little more opaque when off. It is pretty sweet.

 

[Viper GTS]

This kind of thing has been around for a long time, though large panels may be a recent development. They've been making auto change welding hoods for years.

Viper GTS

 

[Rubycon]

The window tech is good as long as it's set to fail opaque. Imagine privacy windows in restrooms and dressing rooms requiring the bias current ON to stay opaque! In other words, power fails and windows are clear. :Q

There's someone working on an optical? train using similarly cholestic crystals biased with heaven knows what to create a coherent beam of electrons collimated into a fine line with divergence in the picoradian range. They claim it will be able to send billions of petabytes per second over the beam. :shocked:

 

[ta8689]

THAT IS SO COOL

 

[Warthog912]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
The window tech is good as long as it's set to fail opaque. Imagine privacy windows in restrooms and dressing rooms requiring the bias current ON to stay opaque! In other words, power fails and windows are clear. :Q

There's someone working on an optical? train using similarly cholestic crystals biased with heaven knows what to create a coherent beam of electrons collimated into a fine line with divergence in the picoradian range. They claim it will be able to send billions of petabytes per second over the beam. :shocked:

come again?

All I caught out of that was "billions of petabytes"... everything else was just... whoah.

 

[broon]

We have a wall of windows about 8ft x 20ft of this stuff. Pretty cool but $$$$$$$.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

They had this in Splinter Cell! Sam Fisher went "whoa" when he saw it! Yay!

 

[mordantmonkey]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
The window tech is good as long as it's set to fail opaque. Imagine privacy windows in restrooms and dressing rooms requiring the bias current ON to stay opaque! In other words, power fails and windows are clear.

unless it was in a vehicle, then it would be much better to fail clear. i was thinking this would be used in luxury cars by now to keep them from getting hot when parked in the sun.

 

[Night201]

In a car (#1 luxury car in the world):

Maybach 62

Click "Maybach USA"
On the bottom, click "The Maybach"
Click "Interior"
Click "Panoramic Glass Roof"

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

very cool, but very expensive.

 

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
The window tech is good as long as it's set to fail opaque. Imagine privacy windows in restrooms and dressing rooms requiring the bias current ON to stay opaque! In other words, power fails and windows are clear. :Q

Why would you ever need windows in restrooms or dressing rooms? They make these things called walls that are solid and not transparent.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: joshsquall


Why would you ever need windows in restrooms or dressing rooms? They make these things called walls that are solid and not transparent.

They have them now - frosted glass or glass blocks. They let light in during the day which reduces power consumption. Having the ability to make them completely transparent is a plus.

 

[SophalotJack]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
The window tech is good as long as it's set to fail opaque. Imagine privacy windows in restrooms and dressing rooms requiring the bias current ON to stay opaque! In other words, power fails and windows are clear. :Q

Well then it would be pitch black in the bathroom ... so nobody could see you anyways.

Unless they have emergency lights... that could be awkward.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
The window tech is good as long as it's set to fail opaque.

That's entirely application-dependent. In my particular application (purposely not mentioned here) it would be good to fail clear or at least require no current drain while clear.

 

[kevinthenerd]

If it helps, my application requires a small window about a foot wide.

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd
If it helps, my application requires a small window about a foot wide.

Post some files preferably in DWG format along with a control schematic and desired attack and decay times and desired opacity schedules.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Well, I just used some of these keywords to Google my idea, and I discovered it's already been done. Thanks anyway.