It’s 2016, and if movies from the past (about the future) were accurate in their depictions we should be a lot further along technologically speaking, a la flying cars, hoverboards, teleportation, etc by now! This isn’t to discount the strides that have been made year over year leading up to now, but it’s safe to say that flying cars are long overdue!
When it comes to glass, it has undergone many changes throughout time (as mentioned in the previous post) and the future looks to be even brighter…mainly because of the integrated light technology. “In a major step towards ‘smart glass’ applications such as 3D display screens or remote radiation sensors, scientists have developed a method for embedding light-emitting nanoparticles into glass without affecting their unique properties. The new ” hybrid glass ” successfully combines the properties of these special luminescent (or light-emitting) nanoparticles with the well-known aspects of glass, such as transparency and the ability to be processed into various shapes including very fine optical fibres. The method was developed with upconversion nanoparticles, which convert near-infrared radiation into tunable visible light. There will be many applications – depending on the properties of the nanoparticle, researchers said. “If we infuse glass with a nanoparticle that is sensitive to radiation and then draw that hybrid glass into a fibre, we could have a remote sensor suitable for nuclear facilities,” said Zhao.”
The sky’s the limit for the capabilities of this type of technology when it becomes available to the masses. Until then, for all of your custom glass projects make sure to contact Cornwall Glass.