2011 Invention Awards: Dynamically Glare-Blocking LCD Sunglasses

Sunglasses that block out points of bright light with LCD-screen lenses

By Elizabeth Svoboda Posted 06.02.2011 at 10:07 am 9 Comments

Dark Matter Mullin kept shrinking the electronic components until they fit into standard-size sunglass frame John B. Carnett

When Chris Mullin was a physics postdoc at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Northern California, one of the most annoying parts of his day was his commute. He had to drive half of the 35 miles between his home in Berkeley and his lab in Livermore into near-direct sunlight. The glare gave him headaches and made it tough to see oncoming traffic. “I thought, ‘God, I feel tense, I feel unsafe,’ ” he says. So he came up with an idea: sunglasses that would use an electronic shield to block glare instantly.

He put the idea on hold for a few years while he worked as a research engineer. But when he got laid off in 2002, he took the opportunity to develop his invention, which he dubbed Dynamic Eye. He used a liquid crystal for the lens material, which he had studied extensively while getting his doctorate. Although the visual properties of a liquid crystal can be electronically modified, the material can be as easy to see through as a typical sunglass lens. A small sensor on the nose bridge detects glare and alerts an adjacent microcontroller to its location. The microcontroller, in turn, instructs the liquid-crystal lens to display a four- or six-millimeter black square in front of the eye to block glare. The square moves with the wearer to block the source of glare at any angle but still allows the surroundings to remain visible.

How It Works: Glare Killing Glasses: When the sensor detects glare, it alerts a microntroller that commands the lcd lenses to display a glare-blocking black dot. Blanddesigns.co.uk

It took Mullin five years and five prototypes to shrink the components. His first version, completed in 2003, included a circuit board tethered to a laptop that processed incoming sensor data. Now—in part because of a low-energy, light detecting sensor that he developed—the battery and all the necessary electronics are compact enough to fit within standard sunglass frames. Still, the glasses aren’t quite market-ready; while testing the most recent prototype, the LCD lenses occasionally malfunctioned. “After they were in the glasses, some of the rows [of pixels] stopped working,” Mullin says. To prevent such problems, he plans to strengthen the electrical connections that allow commands to be sent from the microcontroller to the lenses. In addition, he’s developing flexible plastic-based LCDs (in lieu of glass), so the finished product will be lighter and shatterproof enough for commercial sale.

Mullin—whose work was funded partly with a research grant from the U.S. Air Force—is initially focusing his work on creating eyewear for fighter pilots and soldiers. “Troops could go from high-noon sun into a hut with no illumination, and the eyewear would respond,” says Air Force research biologist Jeffrey Wigle. “They could see instantly after walking into the place and have a tremendous tactical advantage.” Mullin also plans to target sunglasses manufacturers like Oakley, so that anyone will be able to buy Dynamic Eye shades within a few years.

Name: Dynamic Eye Sunglasses
Inventor: Chris Mullin
Time: 8 years
Cost: $2 million

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9 Comments

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05/27/11 at 12:53 pm

It is not a new idea. Several years ago, a medical doctor invented LCD eyeglasses to limit light to get into a patient. I am not sure where I read about this LCD eyeglasses -- perhaps, PopSci.

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Convictus

06/02/11 at 10:26 am

@ p2

What a novel comment you have there. Akin to saying first, 'its been done b4'.

You know I didn't see any on the shelf last time i went shopping for sun glasses so apparently they never got it right before.

I could really benefit from a pair of these. After my lasik surgery any light source produces a significant halo affect that is very distracting and annoying. High beams at night are my nemesis.

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Golimaaar

06/02/11 at 1:23 pm

I love it, it's one of those "why didn't I think of that before ideas."

If the prof reads this, I'd like to suggest making the LCD a lighter color (like white) or something that is translucent so it is more subtle and therefore sexier.

Best of luck, I think he's got a winner on his hands.

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Frosttty

06/02/11 at 1:34 pm

CRAP!!!! I had this idea a few years ago but didn't think it'd go anywhere. WTH was I thinking?

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Volt

06/02/11 at 11:09 pm

I don't see this as a thing for the military in the traditional sense. I see this thing as a tool for the sensors on drones and eventually soldier helmets. Muzzle flash can be a pain and if it was responsive enough, it could darken in time. There's actually a helmet design I've thought up that would allow extra time for the material to selectively darken, and if used, this could cut down on the effectiveness of flash-bangs and dazzling things

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cruzinmy64

06/03/11 at 4:17 pm

Invention? So you mean the same idea as electronic welding helmets have had for the last 25 years?

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quasimod

06/06/11 at 3:09 am

@ cruzinmy64: Auto-darkening welding face shields don't work that way. The entire lens gets darker in response to intense light. This is a different idea. It would be great to have while driving into the setting/rising sun (try that with a welding helmet, lol). Truck drivers and commuters could benefit tremendously from this. As for military applications, I imagine fighter pilots, armored vehicle drivers, gunners and commanders would welcome the option. It seriously needs to look much cooler than that super-dork prototype, though.

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unixgeekdave

06/09/11 at 11:41 am

These glasses were also mentioned in an old Larry Niven short story. I think they were called 'flare glasses' and worked very much the same way.

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dshefman

01/07/12 at 5:56 pm

This technology could be used to protect pilots from people that shine green lasers at airplanes and blind pilots. Or what about for welders?