Responsive Facade Panels With Photochromic Light Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing responsive facade systems lack an integrated technology that combines the advantages of mechanical, electro-mechanical, passive, and advanced material technologies to achieve enhanced efficiency, flexibility, and controllability in adapting to changing daylight patterns.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid system integrating electro-mechanical and advanced material technologies, utilizing photochromic materials and kinetic panels to adjust light transmissivity and direction in response to sunlight, with individual or grouped panel control for optimal visual comfort and energy management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate technology categories (mechanical, electro-mechanical, passive, information technology) are used individually in responsive facade systems, then each technology can be implemented with its specific advantages, but the system lacks integrated efficiency and cannot achieve optimal performance through technology combination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple technology categories (mechanical, electro-mechanical, passive, and information technology) into a single integrated responsive facade system. The system merges these technologies to achieve coordinated control of facade elements, enabling enhanced adaptability to environmental stimuli while managing complexity through unified system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated system performs multiple functions simultaneously: sensing environmental conditions, processing information, actuating facade elements, and providing responsive control. This multi-functionality allows a single system to replace what would otherwise require separate mechanical, electro-mechanical, passive, and information technology systems.
2Productivity
If responsive facade systems use individual technology categories separately, then implementation is simpler, but efficiency and performance optimization are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple technology categories into an integrated system that achieves enhanced efficiency through coordinated operation. The combination enables the facade to respond more effectively to environmental changes, optimizing energy performance and visual comfort beyond what individual technologies could achieve separately.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively reduces daylight glare, enhances visual comfort, and optimizes illuminance levels by dynamically adjusting to sunlight patterns, providing privacy and energy efficiency through advanced control and material integration.
Implementation Method 1
Some or all of the panels 104 within the frame assembly 102 can be coated with photochromic materials to automatically adjust light transmissibility in response to the intensity of light striking the panels 104 within a range from transparency or translucence to opacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A responsive façade system is configured to control the transmission of light from a first side of the responsive façade system to a second side of the responsive façade system in response to inputs from one or more light sensors. The responsive façade system includes a drive system, a plurality of panels driven by the drive system, and a control system. The control system is configured to send drive signals to the drive system to rotate the plurality of panels to selectively block the amount of light passing from the first side of the responsive façade system to the second side of the responsive façade system. In some applications, the light sensors are configured to measure real-time sunlight data such that the control system can instruct the drive system to rotate one or more of the plurality of panels into a position based on the real-time sunlight data.