Switchable Windshield Light Transmittance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Human reactions to autonomous vehicles, such as fear or aggressive behavior, can lead to undesirable driving habits and safety risks due to the unpredictable nature of autonomous collision avoidance systems.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with a switchable windshield that electronically controls visibility by altering light transmittance through electro-optical modulators, optimizing visual access based on driving context, occupancy, and environmental conditions to minimize adverse reactions from other road users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the windshield provides full visual access to the vehicle interior, then other road users can see the autonomous vehicle's occupancy status, but this causes fear or alarm reactions from road users
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield's light transmittance is made dynamically adjustable through electro-optical modulators that can switch between transparent and opaque states based on driving context, occupancy status, and environmental conditions, allowing the system to adapt visual privacy levels in real-time
Solution Approach 2:
The physical parameter of light transmittance is changed electronically to control visibility. By modifying the optical properties of the windshield material through electro-optical modulation, the system transitions between transparent and opaque states to manage road user perceptions
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the windshield obstructs visual access to the vehicle interior, then road user fear reactions are reduced, but occupants lose visual access to the outside environment
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the windshield can have different light transmittance properties. The electro-optical modulators can be controlled to create localized transparent or opaque zones, allowing occupants to maintain visual access to the outside while preventing road users from seeing into the vehicle interior
Solution Approach 2:
The windshield's optical properties are made dynamically adjustable, allowing it to switch between transparent and opaque states based on real-time driving context, occupancy status, and environmental conditions, optimizing both safety and visual access requirements
3Adaptability or versatility
If the windshield transmittance is constantly adjusted, then visual privacy is optimized for different driving contexts, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The electro-optical modulator system operates autonomously based on pre-programmed rules that respond to detected driving context, occupancy status, and environmental conditions. The system self-regulates windshield transmittance without requiring manual intervention, reducing operational complexity while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and control algorithms that continuously monitor driving context and occupancy status, providing feedback to automatically adjust windshield transmittance. This closed-loop control optimizes visual privacy while managing system complexity through automated decision-making
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 solution reduces adverse human reactions to autonomous vehicles by providing a controlled visual environment that reduces the visibility of the vehicle's interior from outside while maintaining visibility for occupants, thereby enhancing safety and traffic flow.
Implementation Method 1
A vehicle equipped with a switchable windshield that electronically controls visibility by altering light transmittance through electro-optical modulators
Data Source
AI summary
A road vehicle capable of autonomous driving has a windshield (10) and a control system (30) being configured to selectively control a regular visible light transmittance of the windshield (10) between two or more electrically switchable light states that provide respective levels of visual access through the windshield (10) from outside the vehicle according to a driving context for the vehicle.