What is Smart Glass?
“Electric glass” may sound like the name of a ’70s rock band, but it’s becoming a 21st-century reality. The operative term is “smart glass,” and its applications are as varied as the uses of glass itself. Through this technology, glass can turn from transparent to opaque, control the passage of heat and light and convert itself from two-way to one-way, all at the behest of the user. In basic terms, smart glass operates by using electric voltage to affect the alignment of microscopic particles within the glass. In the case of electrochromic devices, these particles align or disperse to change between translucence and transparency as soon as an initial electrical impulse is introduced. After that, the conversion takes place on its own with no additional electricity needed. Another electrical application will then reverse the process. The change takes anywhere from seconds to several minutes to take place, beginning at the edges of the glass and moving inward. In its “resting” state witho
