Slashdot Mirror
New Research Could Lead to Transparent Displays
An anonymous reader tipped us to a ScienceDaily story about advances that may lead to transparent transistors. By combining inorganic and organic materials, we may reach the goal of transparent surfaces that can display information, with no visible wiring marring the effect. The article cites HUDs on car windshields, and targeting goggles for soldiers, but I'm sure we can think of some additional interesting uses for such a technology. From the article: "High-performance, transparent transistors could be combined with existing kinds of light display technologies, such as organic light-emitting diodes, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and electroluminescent displays, which are already used in televisions, desktop and laptop computers and cell phones ... Prototype displays using the transistors developed at Northwestern could be available in 12 to 18 months, said Marks. He has formed a start-up company, Polyera, to bring this and related technologies to market."
I think the point is that the displays are completely transparent when off but become partially or fully opaque when they are displaying images.
"However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation."
TRANSLUCENT
Were that I say, pancakes?
He's assuming that because it can't. There are two aspects to depth perception, one is the angle of the image with regards to the eye's direction, the other is the optical focus of the eye itself.
The focus of the image is the result of the latter. To demonstrate this, get a magic marker and draw a picture onto a pair of swimming goggles. Then try to wear the goggles, and focus on the image you have drawn on them at the same time as an object in the distance.
Spoiler: you will not be able to.
I hate printers.