Changing the Appearance of Physical Interfaces Through Controlled Transparency
summary
Physical objects made from a single sheet of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal switchable diffuser become optically dynamic: they toggle from opaque to transparent in milliseconds at 110 V AC with very low current, require no mechanical actuation, and use laser-cut living hinges to fold into 3D shapes. Electrical traces are engraved into the material so a single connector drives individually addressable segments, enabling prototypes like a disk-space height indicator, a multi-legged avatar, nested lampshades, plus limits on viewing angle and layered clarity.
AI-written summary · about