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VISION SYSTEMS AND AGC

NEW GENERATION

SPD-SMARTGLASS PASSENGER

WINDOW SOLUTIONS

At the recent Research Frontiers quarterly conference call,
President and CEO Joe Harary remarked; “Trains can be our
second-biggest market in the next few years… train cars with
our technology are well along with their performance testing
on the rails.... new trains are being built as we speak using our
SPD-SmartGlass in them.” This year’s InnoTrans trade show
in Berlin, illustrated the growth of SPD-SmartGlass in the rail
industry, with solutions that improve the passenger experience
and benefit train operators. Train manufacturers, operators, and
train window suppliers primarily in Europe and Asia have all
been working with Research Frontiers’ patented SPD-Smart-
Glass technology which allows passengers and crews, at the
touch of a button, to change the tint of the windows on a train.
The windows also interface with climate control systems for au-
tomated control. This technology enables control and manage-
ment of heat, light and glare coming into railway cars to make
train cars more comfortable, safer, quieter, and more energy
efficient. By using SPD-SmartGlass technology, passengers
and crews can “tune” the amount of light coming into the train
to preserve and enhance views and reduce unwanted glare.
AGC and Vision Systems, both licensees of Research Frontiers,
launched their respective latest generations of SPD-SmartGlass
EDWs for the rail industry. These “smart windows” control and
manage both beneficial and undesirable outside elements enter-
ing train cars through passenger windows. Vision Systems also
unveiled another new solution, “Info-Vision” window, which
integrates an electroluminescent display into the SPD-Smart-
Glass EDW. Vision Systems recently commented about their
new EDW generation: “Thanks to a new industrial process
that has already been tried out successfully for the aeronautic
and marine industries, Vision Systems’ smart shading systems
provide enhanced optical quality, 30% lower cost and a wider
range of packaged solutions adapted to each project.”
Most trains with traditional window shades have passenger
windows that are also highly tinted, in an attempt to reduce the
amount of time the shades must be down due to excessive light,
glare or solar heat. While this reduces somewhat the time the
shades have to be down, it remains ineffective for many lighting
conditions. Even when the shade is up, the tint of the window
limits the passengers’ views outside the train during dusk, night
time and pre-sunrise hours. SPD-Smart windows eliminates
this problem with its ability to be in an optically clear state.
SPD-SmartGlass EDWs dramatically improve the passenger
experience, by instantly and precisely managing the optimum
amount of healthy daylight for passenger comfort and well-
being, and rejecting uncomfortable heat and noise.