Soon, turn your window into big screen TV

Toronto, Feb 22: Coating small pieces of glass with extremely thin layers of metal like silver may make it possible to add advanced technologies to windowpanes and other glass objects that can then work as a giant thermostat or big screen TV, new research reveals. “Engineers are constantly trying to expand the scope of materials that they can use for display technologies, and having thin, inexpensive, see-through components that conduct electricity will be huge,” said Kenneth Chau, associate professor and lead investigator from University of British Columbia (UBC). “I think one of the most important implications of this research is the potential to integrate electronic capabilities into windows and make them smart,” he added. The researchers will now try to incorporate their invention onto windows with an aim to selectively filter light and heat waves depending on the season or time of day. (ians)