Rosana Rubio-Hernandez Research

Coloured Liquid Crystal Prototype (CLC)

September 2007 - May 2008
CLC is a switchable glass, feasible for interiors and facades, that changes its optical properties when a low voltage is applied monitored by a microcontroller. Its iridescent hues also vary in off state depending on the view angle and on the solar coordinates. It consists of three elements: the actual CLC (a multilayered film system) a microcontroller and a software interface. Sensors and actuators are also implemented. It performs as a visual and thermal light filter, as an integrated privacy system and as a transparent information display. Its advantages are: Its tincture level changes dynamically within a gray scale without scattering the view as opposed to common liquid-crystal glasses. Its hue variation occurs in a range of 100- 150 nanometres as opposed to the bigger ranges of the dichroic coatings. Its response and recovering time is instantaneous as opposed to the slowness of the electrochromic systems. It is structurally coluored therefore its raw component layers can be recycled. The visual and thermal dynamicity of CLC has been explored in various designs within the realm of responsive architecture.
www.d-lite.org/products/colored_liquid_crystal.php#performance