So why Blinds and Technologies? You may ask!

From the Secondary Research that the Designers and myself have done from the start of the project, a theme began to emerge from the images that was collated. Most if not all apartment shots which has a Window insight either had the curtains drawn or the view was just shocking. Because of the way most of the apartments are raised, every window that you look out is towards another building, with a view of your neighbours kitchen, toilet, living room, Air Condition units, Railings...everything but beautiful, calming views.

This led to further secondary and primary research into chinese people's living habits and lifestyles.

Philips Research - Technologies E Ink

Electronic paper / E InkHigh-resolution Electronic Ink Display prototype developed by Philips and E Ink. Electronic Ink Displays have paper-like viewing characteristics with excellent contrast ratio and clear images that can be seen from any angle. They are light-weight, consume no power when showing static images and allow high-resolution images

For more information visit: http://www.research.philips.com/technologies/display/ov_elpap.html

Siemens Electrochromic Display

The New Scientist is reporting on flexible electrochromic displays developed by Siemens:

The display consists of a layer of electrochromic material sandwiched between two electrode layers. The material changes from one colour to another when stimulated by an electric current. The top electrode layer is made from transparent plastic, so the display can be seen clearly through it.The electrochromic mixture used by Siemens, which enables the screen to work so rapidly, has not been disclosed, but commonly used electrochromic substances include conductive polymers such as polyaniline.

The display is controlled by a printed circuit and can be powered by a very thin printable battery or a photovoltaic cell. The goal is to be able to create the entire device – the display and its power source - using the same printing method, so that manufacturing costs would be as low as possible. Siemens expects to achieve this by 2007.

E Ink + Toppan colour filter

Colour E Ink is no longer a possibility, its reality! This would be fantastic technology to be incorporated with my Designed for China Product!

E Ink and Toppan Printing (supplier of LCD colour filters) have announced a full colour electronic ink display, that achieves 12-bit color in a 400×300 pixel format with resolution of 83 pixels per inch, using a custom color filter from strategic partner Toppan. The color filter design has a high-brightness layout (RGBW) that preserves the paper-like whiteness of the background page while enabling deep blacks for text and a range of colors and tones for images. A smart algorithm uses color sub-pixels to smooth black and white text, for enhanced legibility equivalent to a printer. The display diagonal is 6 inches, similar to a paperback book in size. […]Mass production of color electronic paper displays is expected to start at the end of 2006, with future plans for flexible versions.

E Ink

Electronic paper was developed in order to overcome some of the limitations of computer monitors. For example, the backlighting of monitors is hard on the human eye, whereas electronic paper reflects light just like normal paper. It is easier to read at an angle than flat screen monitors. It is lightweight, durable, and highly flexible compared to other display technologies, though it is not as flexible as paper.

The network of electrodes is connected to display circuitry, which turns the electronic ink 'on' and 'off' at specific pixels by applying a voltage to specific pairs of electrodes. Applying a negative charge to the surface electrode repels the particles to the bottom of local capsules, forcing the black dye to the surface and giving the pixel a black appearance. Reversing the voltage has the opposite effect - the particles are forced from the surface, giving the pixel a white appearance. A more recent incarnation[4] of this concept requires only one layer of electrodes beneath the microcapsules.

Polychrome e-paper

Simple colour e-paper[8] consists of a thin coloured optical filter added to the monochrome technology described above. The array of pixels is divided into triads, typically consisting of the standard red, green and blue, in the same way as CRT monitors, although, for commercial releases of e-paper in the forms of newspapers etc, it will most likely be in the 'CMYK' format, for clarity of writing. The display is then controlled like any other electronic colour display.

For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper

E Ink, How is it made?

Electronic ink is a special type of ink that can display different colors when exposed to an electric field. It is made through a two step process that involves creating two-toned charged particles and encapsulating them in a transparent polymeric shell. The resulting nanoparticle shells are suspended in a solvent until the ink can be applied to a surface. First developed in the early 1990s, electronic ink promises to revolutionize the printing industry and maybe even change the way we interact with the world.

Electronic ink is like traditional ink in that it is a colored liquid that can be coated onto nearly any surface. Suspended in the liquid are millions of microcapsules that contain tiny, two-toned polymeric particles. One side of the particle is a dark color while the other is a contrasting light color. Similar to a magnet, the dark colored side of the particle has an electric charge that is opposite that of the light colored side. When the ink is exposed to an electric field, the particles realign themselves, depending on the charge of the field. When all of the dark colored sides are attracted to the surface, the ink looks dark. When an opposite electric charge is applied, the light colored sides orient face forward and the surface looks light. This ability to change from white to black or visa versa whenever desired makes electronic ink extremely useful. When a book or other surface is coated with electronic ink, it can be reprogrammed to display different words or pictures.

For more information visit: http://www.answers.com/topic/electronic-ink

E Ink Corporation and Lucent Technologies

E Ink Corporation and Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced a major milestone in their effort to develop a flexible, paper-like electronic display, as they jointly demonstrated working prototypes built on thin sheets of plastic. Produced just one year after the development project was announced, these devices prove that electronic ink, driven with printed plastic circuits, is a compelling design for electronic paper and other next-generation displays.

The prototypes consist of a 25-square-inch display area made up of several hundred pixels. The displays were constructed using two ground-breaking developments: E Ink's electronic ink, and Lucent's active-matrix drive circuits printed on plastic, which were developed by Bell Labs, Lucent's research and development unit. The transistors in these circuits are made of plastic materials and are fabricated with a low-cost printing process that uses high-resolution rubber stamps. Their switching properties are similar to typical thin film transistors made with silicon and conventional fabrication methods, but they are mechanically flexible, rugged and lightweight. The electronic ink enables the display's paper-like qualities: extraordinary brightness and contrast under a wide range of lighting conditions; easy viewing from all angles; low power consumption; and plastic film construction.

For more information visit: http://eink.com/press/releases/pr26.html

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal devices

In polymer dispersed liquid crystal devices (PDLCs), liquid crystal droplets are arranged in a sheet between two layers of glass. In the "off" state, they are randomly oriented and, when switched on, they align according to the electic field. The liquid crystals scatter light, without blocking it, thus the glass looks white even when in its transparent state. There is no possibility to control the amount of light and heat passing through, and the device operates in on/off states only. This technology has been used in interior settings for privacy control (for example conference rooms, intensive-care areas, bathroom/shower doors) and as a temporary projection screen. It has been marketed under the name of "switchable privacy glass".

For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_windows

Back Projection

These images shows the potential of Smart Glass using Projections to display images.

For more information visit: http://www.sggprivalite.com/en/applicref/applic_fr.html and http://www.sggprivalite.com/en/applicref/applic_fr.html

How Stuff Work?

While much of the country is concentrating on ways to increase its energy supply, some researchers have been working on new low-power-consuming technologies. Among these new technologies are smart windows, and we aren't talking about Microsoft's operating system. This exciting, cutting-edge window technology allows consumers to block either all light or just some by simply turning a knob or pressing a button. This type of light control could potentially save billions of dollars on heating, cooling and lighting costs (research indicates that approximately 2 percent of all the energy used in the United States is "consumed" by residential windows).

Cleaning window treatments can be a hassle. In this regard, smart-windows are an easy alternative -- no more blinds to clean, or expensive drapery to be professionally cared for. Not only will smart windows cut down on your dry-cleaning bill, but they can save money on your power bill, too. When the summer sun is bathing your house in rays, things can really heat up inside your home, making your air conditioning work overtime. Smart windows can be used to block that extra heat. By blocking UV radiation, smart windows can protect paintings and furnishings in your home or office, too.

For more information visit: http://home.howstuffworks.com/smart-window.htm

SPD Glass

SPD smart window is constructed by using two panes of glass separated by a conductive film with suspended, light absorbing, microscopic particles. Microscopic light-absorbing particles are dispersed within a thin film. When no electrical voltage is applied to the film, these particles absorb light, making the glass dark. When voltage is applied, the particles align and allow light to pass through. By simply adjusting the electrical voltage manually or automatically, the amount of light passing through the SPD-glass product can be controlled quickly and precisely. While this type of smart window is capable of changing at the turn of a button, one disadvantage is that electricity is required to keep the window transparent. However, there are some advantages of this type of smart window over the other two types. Electrochromic glass responds slowly, has limited cycle lifetime, and has an “iris effect” where color change begins at the outer edges of the window and trickles its way toward the center. Liquid-crystal glass is either clear or opaque with no in-between states, and merely scatters light rather than blocking it, which limits it to certain interior privacy applications.

For more information visit: http://www.glassonweb.com/articles/article/192/

New and Developing Technologies

This is a focussed research on NEW technologies or Developing technologies. These innovations will be realised in the next few years, and the application for such technology is vast. The statement below is quoted off a patent document and is a copyright of inventors: WALDER, LORENZ (DE)MOELLER, MARTIN (DE)

The present invention relates to displays displaying high resolution information, in particular to electrochromic displays displaying high resolution information, either in the form of fixed or variable images. The invention also relates to methods for depositing the electrochromic materials onto the substrates and to display created by these methods. The present invention further relates to displays employing large surface area materials especially mesoporous materials. An important type of mesoporous materials are constructed of fused particles (usually nanoparticles) which are typically of a size measured in nanometers. If the fused particles are crystalline in nature (they may be amorphorous) then the material is often referred to as nanocrystalline. The mesoporous materials employed herein may be nanocrystalline but are in any case constructed of nanoparticles. Desirably the materials are nanocrystalline and are more preferably in the form of a thin film.

The invention enables the fabrication of switchable, high resolution icons or alphanumeric information using such deposition techniques. It also allows deposition of materials in a manner consistent with the fabrication of high resolution matrix addressable displays for example by the deposition of individual pixels of electrochromic material.

For more information visit: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/EP1271227.html

What is Electrochromatic Glass?

Also called Smart Glass, or SPD Glass, or Photochromics, or Liquid Crystal, or Photochromatics, or Thermotropics, or Suspended Particle Displays?
It is basically high tech glass. In one moment, the piece of glass looks like ordinary clear glass, but in the next moment, the window can be opaque, or tinted, or coloured, depending on the technology used. It has endless applications, and is currently used in car rear view vision mirrors, automobile sunroofs, and many many more numerous applications. It also has the potential for heating and cooling uses. No more blinds are necessary with most smart glass!

History of Blinds

Say the word "blinds" and some of us picture the two inch wide Venetian blinds of the 50's. They were two inch wide metal slats that were hung together with fabric strips to allow raising, lowering or tilting. They were, generally, noisy and by most standards did little to spruce up a room. But you can go a lot farther back in history to find the first application of blinds to windows. The early Egyptians strung together reeds from the mighty Nile for their version and the ancient Chinese cultures used bamboo. Hop on up to the eighteenth century and blinds were used as a modernization over bulky wooden shutters. Today those metal blinds of the 50's were replaced in the 80's by one inch vinyl mini blinds you can still use to decorate your windows, plus a wide variety of applications. Why are blinds so popular today?

• Blinds can be pleasing to the eye, with regular horizontal lines to make each window uniform, when viewed from either inside or outside your home.
  


• Blinds offer a wide selection of colors and style.
  


• When carefully designed, blinds can give you privacy from neighbors as well as almost complete blockage of light for the daytime sleeper or those long summer days.
  


• Some blinds will help keep the heat in your house in the winter and the sunlight out in the summer, making them a great energy saver.
  


• While fabric window treatments are difficult to clean themselves and if puddled on the floor, difficult to clean around, blinds don't interfere with vacuuming, and with some newer applications of paint, can actually discourage dust from settling on them.

Window Blinds

Pleated Blind

Vertical Blind

Venetian blind details

Details of Blind Stick (turning rod)

Horizontal Blinds

A window blind or door blind is a covering for a window or door, usually attached to the interior side of a window. Blinds hide from sight (thus "blinding" a viewer of the window) or to reduce sunlight. Blinds have varying thermal effects: they can block unwanted heat of the summer sun and they can keep in heat in cold weather. But in both of these applications, they also reduce light to varying degrees, depending on the design. Many kinds of blinds attempt varying balances of blinding external viewers and allowing sunlight.

All kinds of blinds can also be motorised and, because of this, automated. Some motorised door blinds are transpassables (one can cross them). Motorized shades can be controlled from a wall switch or keypad, remote control, or a personal computer. This eliminates the hazard of dangling cords

For more information visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_blind