Smartglass as a diffuser?

Shadowcaster · Nov 24, 2015

I used to work in residential low-voltage electronics, and one of the more interesting technologies I came across was Smartglass, which would go from frosted to transparent instantly with the addition of current. Typically these panels would find use in bathrooms and were rather expensive toys for the rich. I wonder, though... could the technology be scaled down to the size of a flashlight lens and find a more practical use as a built-in diffuser option?

markr6 · Nov 24, 2015

Me, and a few others already thought of that...not sure what we called the threads though

That would be AWESOME though. No need to mess with and lose a separate diffuser.

Borad · Nov 24, 2015

Works with goggles. I bet the size of the battery pack could be reduced enough for a flashlight. http://shop.smarttint.com/Battery-Operated-Units_c_4764.html

markr6 · Nov 25, 2015

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?405814-Crazy-diffuser-idea

dc38 also mentioned it at some point, but can't find the thread.

On a nice throwy light, I'd probably pay at least twice the cost of the light for this kind of diffuser.

jorn · Nov 25, 2015

Pepole pay good money just to swap the lenses with ar coated ucl lenses. how mutch lightloss is it with this wisard tec glass?
I bet alot.

markr6 · Nov 25, 2015

jorn said:
Pepole pay good money just to swap the lenses with ar coated ucl lenses. how mutch lightloss is it with this wisard tec glass?
I bet alot.

Probably. But the point is to have an all inclusive system without a diffuser to loose. It was just an idea. And expensive one. A flip-up diffuser would be more cost-effective.

Borad · Nov 25, 2015

If instead of the frosted color it could be made reflective then you could make an adjustable reflector. Either with a block of the material or several reflectors that are normally transparent.

bykfixer · Nov 29, 2015

Great for going from close quarters action to search n rescue modes! Navy Seals kinda thing.

What would be cool is to incorparate into the circuit with ability to switch off and on...like those Streamlight you can add laser or not to the beam.
Perhaps twist the head type switch?

I'd buy one if the price wasn't say $3500...but like a couple hundred or so and it had rock solid Malkoff good innerds.

lightlover · Nov 29, 2015

This system would be progressive in the shading, wouldn't it?
(I mean, from low to med to high diffusion).

I wonder if the diffuser could be set to shade-down (or reflect back) the spill, but leave the centre of the lens clear.
Would we need a control ring to adjust it?

Looks like it would be expensive - but cool!

jorn · Dec 3, 2015

Its not that easy. Spill is the light that dont hit the reflector. The light that hits the reflector goes in the spot. So leaving the center of the lense wont be helping mutch.

lightlover · Jan 8, 2016

Jorn,

Surely if the centre of the lens is clear, leaving the underside of the window reflective, those reflections would contain the spill and "recycle" the photons?
(Through the aperture?).

Smartglass as a diffuser?

Shadowcaster

Newly Enlightened

markr6

Flashaholic

Borad

Enlightened

markr6

Flashaholic

jorn

Flashlight Enthusiast

markr6

Flashaholic

Borad

Enlightened

bykfixer

Flashaholic

lightlover

Flashlight Enthusiast

jorn

Flashlight Enthusiast

lightlover

Flashlight Enthusiast

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