Research Area


Control how the light gets in

The world’s fastest tint-changing eyewear


The buildings where we spend our days have ever larger windows designed to provide light. However, windows that focus on incoming light are archaic and lack compatibility with energy efficiency, privacy, and safety. To provide adjustable visibility while simultaneously customizing the interior space light exposure, Our Lab. has introduced a number of dynamic new window options that can be integrated into the window itself, or applied as a film onto the window.

Changing light conditions can be a matter of (in)convenience – or, at their most dangerous, personal safety. The proposed device offers exacting visual control, using revolutionary liquid crystal science to provide users with the ability to instantaneously react to changing lighting.


Automotive


Autonomous cars are fast becoming a reality and with that vision, our concept of driving will soon be transformed. As increasingly automated and autonomous cars become a reality, features such as see-through displays, driver visibility, automated capability, and how a car responds to changing lighting conditions become a necessity and not a choice. Autonomous cars are expected to provide a comfortable, relaxed interior with compelling features that elevate driver experience and safety at the same time. In-vehicle screens offer information and movies & TV shows but they can cause serious accidents by distracting drivers. Viewing angle controllable display can block the screen while offering a perfect screen for others when driving.


VR/AR/MR


Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) provides engaging experiences that seamlessly blend virtual objects with the real world. However, these systems struggle to work as well when outside in sunlight as they do indoors because typically, the image contrast from the AR display washes out or is drastically reduced in sunlight. Our new light-adjusting display technology solves this problem, allowing users to enjoy AR in all environments, by providing an instantaneous adjustment to ambient lighting to enhance contrast and improve visibility of the AR image.

The popularity of Virtual Reality is rooted in its ability to immerse users in a separate experience, transporting them from their current surroundings to a focused, singular experience. Whether they are watching a movie, “visiting” a location, or playing an interactive game, the success of Virtual Reality relies on successfully and convincingly placing them in that setting. We are now working to adapt and integrate its intense light protection solutions to develop higher performance VR displays. Viewers can choose to switch between different modes: from total immersion, where no ambient environment can be seen, to a mixed or augmented reality experience. By allowing variable degrees of perception of the outside world, we can provide a seamless, safer, and more enjoyable VR experience.