The multi-touch switchable smart glass monitor is an interactive touch screen that can be switched between privacy and safety modes. These screens are available in standard sizes of 65″-134″ diagonally. They can be connected together to create large format displays. Due to their slim design, these devices blend into interiors, from contemporary and hi-tech offices to historical buildings. They also provide excellent viewing angles. To ensure a smooth, easy-to-use experience, the panels are highly responsive to touches.
Throughout the Iron Man film (2008), the smart monitor glass is shown as a stall door that prevents Avery from peeking into the office. During the first season of White Collar, the characters are trapped behind a glass door and have to rely on the glass to keep them safe. The smart-glass shade is used in a scene in which Rick Deckard administers a polygraph-style test to determine the identity of Rachael, a replicant.
The technology behind smart glass is similar to that used in the touchscreens on smartphones and tablets. The difference is that a touch screen can be operated with the palm of the hand. The smart glass can be pressed or held by the user, making it easier to interact with the screen. Moreover, these monitors are very convenient, as the touch screen doesn’t require a mouse or keyboard. The touchscreen technology in smartphones and tablets is based on touch-based gestures.
Another feature of smart glass is its ability to detect stall occupancy. A restroom in the Museumplein square in Amsterdam contains an example of this technology. While the actual device is yet to be developed, there are many examples of it in popular culture. One of these is a scene from the film Blade Runner, in which a smart-glass-like shade darkens the room. In the movie, Rick Deckard uses a polygraph test to determine Rachael’s identity. She is an organic robot, which is known as a replicant.
The technology behind a smart glass monitor is based on a polymer with a thin layer of conductive material between two layers. The liquid crystals are dissolved into the polymer, causing it to change its color and appearance. The liquid crystals form droplets throughout the polymer, affecting the “smart window’s” operating properties. Usually, the liquid mix of the liquid polymer and liquid crystals are placed between two layers of glass, plastic, and transparent conductive material. In this way, the “smart window” is a capacitor.
The main material used to produce a smart glass monitor is a PDLC film. PDLC film is a thin transparent plastic film that combines liquid crystals and conductive material. The two layers of glass in a smart glass window are joined by a thin film of this material. This layer can be inserted between two glasses. When the glass is installed, the screen is positioned between the two pieces of glass.