This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to develop a fully functional color "transparent display screen" prototype, based on a set of outdoor stable nano-phosphors with very high fluorescent quantum efficiency and well-controlled nano-particle sizes. With these advanced nano-phosphors, a color display windshield prototype will be developed.
This novel "transparent display screen" technology will enable an entire vehicle windshield or building glass windows to act as an electronic display screen, without affecting the optical clarity. This innovative display technology will leverage and create a broad spectrum of commercial applications and fundamentally change the way that people use "glass" in many designs.
PI: ted sun Awardee: Sun Innovations Inc Award Number: 0848519 The objective of this SBIR Phase II project is to develop various fluorescent nano-materials, and demonstrate an innovative full windshield head-up display (FW-HUD) technology, which turns an entire automobile windshield into a high contrast and fully transparent electronic display with unlimited viewing angles. In this SBIR project that was recently concluded, Sun Innovations has developed fluorescent nano-materials of various emission colors (Fig. 1), with a full color transparent display screen and a color display windshield prepared. We also investigated the key durability properties of the materials extensively. Such materials can be applied to the glass surface in a fully "invisible" way, and turn the covered glass to an emissive transparent display with unlimited viewing angles. These nano-materials as well as many other functional nanomaterials are available for purchase from our on-line store: www.nanomaterialstore.com. In the TECP supplement to the project, we developed a display glass with a major global windshield manufacturer, Saint Gobain. By integrating our fluorescent nano-materials inside glass panel, commercial grade display glass or windshield is prepared and ready for production. Fig, 2 shows a demo images presented on the full-size display glass loaded with nano-phosphors. A custom-made laser projector project "latent" digital images on the glass, which is completely absorbed and converted by the glass to visible image, with unlimited viewing angles. For purchase of the fully transparent display system, goes to www.superimaging.com. In the Phase IIB supplement to the project, we built a complete set of a "FW-HUD developmental kit", which include a custom-designed miniature laser projector and driver, and a custom coated windshields. Such "kit" has everything needed to develop various FW-HUD applications on any type of windshield. It allows various commercial parties of interest to develop their secondary custom applications with our technology, to proliferate our innovative FWD technology in various commercial products and businesses. Fig. 3 shows example of a full windshield-HUD enabled by our technology. The kit is available for purchase. The objectives of the SBIR project and its supplements have been accomplished in the project. We are actively pursuing the various commercial applications of the new technology, and it will be presented in the Eureka Park of CES show in Jan. 2013.
