[G-spec]

A member of the VQ community has been working on something pretty neat for us on the forum, I thought I'd share with the rest of you guys here, and this pretty much speaks for itself once you see the YouTube video clips.
The guy is working out of Toronto and I'm gonna go hang out with him this Saturday, so needless to say this Variable Tint stuff might hit the Canadian market pretty hard and possibly very soon... I'll find out more info from him on the weekend when I speak to him face to face..

I will directly quote his post from our forum so you can read in his own words..

Hey guys, the first time I saw MEN IN BLACK (1997), Will Smith locks his car.. and his C class Benz just blacks out including the headlight...I told myself that i'll have that in my car one day. Of course, in the movie, they used CGI.. but after years and years of research and talking to several companies, I have finally come up with a solution that is very cost effective & efficient (compared to others) and something that I can deploy onto a vehicle with some modifying.

The tech behind this has been around for ages.. and is not new..just look up SmartGlass, PDLC etc. etc. This is however a first for cars... (this will allow projection , variable control, cheaper, less power, vs others that don't offer everything). This type of glass is usually found in boardrooms, clubs etc.

There is a bus with something SIMILAR, however, it cost the company close to 60K$ to have it installed...

I'm working with Chiefway to introduce the potential of this application to the world. Also i'm an official authorized dealer for Smart-Film.

Anything is possible. This was a goal of mine from childhood that i have achieved and now I want to help everyone else with this stuff.

I might work on a see-through hood with this installed + tail/front lights... maybe in the future..

Some info:

*doesn't cost 20,000$+ for an entire car
*can change the color of your windows via leds
*images/videos/text can be projected (turning your windows into screens via projector)
*tint can be variably changed from 0% to 99% transparency

Not all of the above are in the videos, weather has been a bitch lately, i'll be taking videos of all the other functions and posting them soon.

Enjoy guys.... WEBSITE COMING VERY SOON!!....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w88BDnrncIA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ianPleyddGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itLqUDlw2tk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrUq-9hoC8I

Anyone that has questions, i'll be more than happy to help and assist you. I'm not advertising since i'm targeting buses BUSES/SHOW CARS/HOMES for now... If you have your own idea and would like to use this application for it, just give me a shout! :D

note: White and Emerald Green are available now. Black version will be available upon demand.

[datoad]

it seems like it turns grey on the youtube video? I'm guessing thats their white tint. Cool tech though

[shenmecar]

Is like that privacy glass thing they have on Maybachs. And at the Aeropostale store at metrotown. Its called electro-transparent glass.

[moomooCow]

pretty cool tech

but why the fuck is the second video upside down, didn't help my headache...

[ShyGuy]

you can't see outside once its tinted...useless imo

[Todd Martinez]

thats really cool

[shenmecar]

you can't see outside once its tinted...useless imo

well, i mean, a lot of richmonders dont shoulder check, or check their side mirrors before changing lane/merging anyways. So........it wouldnt be much of a difference to them.

[KingCrimson]

The last video is pointless...

[Lomac]

It's a pretty neat idea.

Now what I'd personally be interested in is having the Transitions-style tint like you can get on your eyeglasses. I like having tint during a hot, sunny day, but it can get annoying during a dark, rainy night. With that stuff, you can have the best of both worlds!

[Peturbo]

you can't see outside once its tinted...useless imo

"*tint can be variably changed from 0% to 99% transparency"

[GT4RC]

If I start seeing this stuff in black im so down.

[ajax]

It's a pretty neat idea.

Now what I'd personally be interested in is having the Transitions-style tint like you can get on your eyeglasses. I like having tint during a hot, sunny day, but it can get annoying during a dark, rainy night. With that stuff, you can have the best of both worlds!

Thats what i thought when i clicked this thread. Someone should do it, is it just not a film on the front of the glasses?

[roastpuff]

Thats what i thought when i clicked this thread. Someone should do it, is it just not a film on the front of the glasses?

"The glass version of these lenses achieve their photochromic properties through the embedding of microcrystalline silver halides (usually silver chloride), or molecules in a glass substrate. Plastic photochromic lenses rely on organic photochromic molecules (for example oxazines and naphthopyrans) to achieve the reversible darkening effect. "

From Wiki - you have to embed into the glass, so not just a film.

[josel_atr]

cool.

[GT4RC]

"The glass version of these lenses achieve their photochromic properties through the embedding of microcrystalline silver halides (usually silver chloride), or molecules in a glass substrate. Plastic photochromic lenses rely on organic photochromic molecules (for example oxazines and naphthopyrans) to achieve the reversible darkening effect. "

From Wiki - you have to embed into the glass, so not just a film.

3rd video, 0:32. I doubt it, theres a strip of glass that wasnt treated that butts up against the weatherstrip, as you would find on film tinted glass. could be wrong though.

[roastpuff]

3rd video, 0:32. I doubt it, theres a strip of glass that wasnt treated that butts up against the weatherstrip, as you would find on film tinted glass. could be wrong though.

No, what this guy did was different than what ajax is referring to, which is a non-electronic, non-controllable progressive tint via the actual material's reaction to UV.

Props to the dude though, that is cool. :)

[freakshow]

Tech sounds pretty cool & interesting, but he needs better videos..

[asian_XL]

many home developers use this tinting technology on glass bathroom doors/walls.
I have seen it 2 years ago in a million dollar home.

shyguy is right, it is useless, even though it says 0% to 99% transparency, it is not the
same as 0-100% on tinting film. This one will blur everything out, but tinting film is just
darker, it is still visible.

[thumper]

is this zero light/uv transmission? works for me then... all i care about is my interior not heating up and fading/cracking in direct sunlight when i'm parked. i couldn't care less if i can't see in or out then :thumbsup:

[Avery]

Its about $ 250/Meter .. has to be custom cut to each window size perfectly , and as said before its not tint as much as frosted windows , what you can see thru them is very limited more of a parking lot trick.

250/M for the film + the original window

Also.. when no Voltage is going through them they are frosted and once voltage is applied they become clear , so if your battery dies or the transformer fails .. that would be some scary driving.

[obselete]

^just roll your windows down?

[Mugen EvOlutioN]

doesnt look tat good IMO

[!Aznboi128]

^ got to agree

if it was dark and still see thru from the inside out even tho it's 99 would be cool

[asian_speedster]

many home developers use this tinting technology on glass bathroom doors/walls.
I have seen it 2 years ago in a million dollar home.

shyguy is right, it is useless, even though it says 0% to 99% transparency, it is not the
same as 0-100% on tinting film. This one will blur everything out, but tinting film is just
darker, it is still visible.

is it like this??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvmosNcdAvQ&feature=related

they could probably make it black if they wanted to but it may still not be clear.

cool concept!

[StylinRed]

its a pretty cool idea, be great for being different also good for keeping prying eyes out of your interior


It's a pretty neat idea.

Now what I'd personally be interested in is having the Transitions-style tint like you can get on your eyeglasses. I like having tint during a hot, sunny day, but it can get annoying during a dark, rainy night. With that stuff, you can have the best of both worlds!

that's what i thought this was going to be

[impactX]

The mainland Chinese has been using this for years for the loo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRkzyKPlHts

[eurochevy]

The mainland Chinese has been using this for years for the loo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRkzyKPlHts

a store at metrotown has this at their change rooms dont' remember what store

[LowTEC]

Don't show the Elephant in yale town had that type of washroom door over 10 years ago, it was cool back then

[silk]

this app looks way better on the washroom then on his G35..
you cant see shit when you're sitting inside of your car...

[zulutango]

Here in BC it would be illegal anyway...

(8) No person shall drive or operate on a highway a motor vehicle which has affixed to or placed on the windshield or a window any material that reduces the light transmitted through the windshield or window unless the material is affixed to or placed on

(a) the windshield but not more than 75 mm below the top of the windshield,

(b) a side window that is behind the driver, or

(c) the rear window if the motor vehicle is equipped with outside rear view mirrors on the left and right side of the motor vehicle.

(9) If a motor vehicle contains manufactured glass, tinting contained within the glass must meet the minimum light transmittancy requirements under the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.

[bsftong]

a store at metrotown has this at their change rooms dont' remember what store

Aeropostale

[G-spec]

I'm gonna talk to him about the black version, because I'm also interested in the same type of application that Lomac suggested so I'll be asking him about that...
he did say in his post that black will soon be available as well.

note: White and Emerald Green are available now. Black version will be available upon demand.


legal or illegal, people who want it are gonna install it and aren't gonna give a shit about the compliance fineprint Zulu posted

[shenmecar]

Its about $ 250/Meter .. has to be custom cut to each window size perfectly , and as said before its not tint as much as frosted windows , what you can see thru them is very limited more of a parking lot trick.

250/M for the film + the original window

Also.. when no Voltage is going through them they are frosted and once voltage is applied they become clear , so if your battery dies or the transformer fails .. that would be some scary driving.

Well you wouldn't be driving if it can't start. Then some policemen will come and give you a ticket for illegal high tech tinting.



a store at metrotown has this at their change rooms dont' remember what store

yeah, you don't read do you?

[3seriesBeeM]

its a pretty cool idea. They have alot of that type of glass in europe in the bathrooms its clear when you go into the bathroom but when you lock the door it goes so no one can see inside.

[SolidPenguin]

The mainland Chinese has been using this for years for the loo!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRkzyKPlHts

Too bad theyre still in the stoneage and stuck a squat toilet in such a high tech bathroom....

[Lomac]

I'm gonna talk to him about the black version, because I'm also interested in the same type of application that Lomac suggested so I'll be asking him about that...
he did say in his post that black will soon be available as well.

note: White and Emerald Green are available now. Black version will be available upon demand.


legal or illegal, people who want it are gonna install it and aren't gonna give a shit about the compliance fineprint Zulu posted

Keep me in the loop if you talk with him about it.

[monkeywrench]

i remember someone mentioning that the subaru SVX has similar technology as this?? someone clarify?

[Hehe]

They have this on Airbus A380 first class washroom (not sure about other classes)

It goes transparent to white depends on the lock.

[t7n7]

Hey guys... i was wondering where the huge spike of views came from... followed myself to this forum... let me answer a few questions.. but first of all. i wanna just thank everyone for taking their time to check this out..

This tech has been around for ages.. first developed in FRANCE (not china.) over 20 years ago.. believe me.. now.. there are soo many different variants of this stuff.. but this type of product is the best and most cost effective solution for the car.. (other products cost about 20,000$ for an entire car)...

Maybachs, Ferrari's have it on their SUNROOF only (because the glass itself is over 10000$) .. also custom glass.. as someone mentioned it earlier....

This would be the world's first car with complete tint all around (except the windshield due to the laws here) ..

it becomes frosted.. but with a variable switch (which upcoming videos will feature), i can change it from 0% to 98%... the videos only show the on/off function (100ft remote)

IT IS A FILM!! lol.... if it was glass.. it would cost you about 2000$ USD PER GLASS... not to mention modifying a whole bunch of other things to make it fit and power properly. In fact... the video that someone posted where he mentioned the "chinese" have been doing this... is a video of my manufacturer SMART-FILM! i'm the authorized dealer here and i basically modify everything to get it to work with the car. Believe me, its easier said then done... so many factors that only someone who has done it before would know. THEY ARE NOT CHINESE, they are Taiwanese.. :) Chiefway <-- company.

and NO.. its not 250/meter lol.... there are soo many different costs that are associated with this product and putting it onto a working daily driving car... it averages out to a lot more. I cannot mention the price here due to the forum rules. sorry. Also.. every car is different according to the different functions the user wants. variable change, color of the tint (available in white, emerald green, black), power, remote, etc.

By setting it to 5% transparency, you can clearly look outside and still block someone from looking into the car. (kinda like your house windows at night, if you have your lights on, people from the outside can see in but its hard for you to see out due to the reflections)

unless you set it to atleast 40%, its hard for the people outside your car to look inside due to the reflections as well. This answers the question for those trying to drive with it. I have had this for about a year... it was only uploaded on youtube so other manufacturers can step into the game.

the upside-down video , my apologies... stupid iphone... its just to show how it would look with different lights behind it... basically with leds.. you can change the color easily.. because it also acts as a projection film.. (Which the maybach, airbus, tokyo bus etc. are not capable of)

If you check the other videos, you can use this to project videos.. which is what its designed to do as well.... clubs, my office boardroom, and a whole bunch of places have this...

now for the million dollar question... what if it fails? ... the chances of it failing is the same as if your electrical system would randomly die and your car would come to a rolling stop... but if that was the situation... simply roll down your windows... bus drivers do not have a rear window so just drive like one until you come to a place to park.

This is just a childhood goal of mine and now that its something that others enjoy as well.. i might just help out and install it for anyone thats interested.

I have been pulled over for bluelights etc. and the police didn't notice anything while it was on... it is illegal to drive with a tint that prevents an officer of the law from lookin at the driver... if the car is parked.. you can do whatever you want.. in my case, you cannot look inside the car... hotbox anyone? lol...

anyways... once again... i'm here to help... these type of products will only get better and more efficient/cheaper as time goes... until then... for those of you that spend 10000$ on bigbrake kits and 15000$ on custom paint jobs for show cars... GIVE ME A SHOUT!! i'll make sure you win ;) .... Seethrough hood? we can do this for anything and everything... :)

Adon.. the party was a blast... I met some guys who want it on their QX56 and Escalade so... those are the 2 trucks i'll be working with in the future.

Stay tuned for more videos... sorry for the long post!! I wanted to clarify on everything. Thank you everyone once again.

-Ram Sivabalan

[hk20000]

I would really like this technology not as something you use when you drive but when you are parked under the scorching sun.... to protect the interior and reduce the greenhouse effect inside means less hard running A/C when you come back and that would save gas and preserve those custom/prestine interiors of your ride.

[LowTEC]

so if the power connection fails, the film will turn 0% transparency by default right? It can be a concern

[jbsali]

looks like a pretty slim market when it comes to this "tint" for cars...

[t7n7]

no power = 0% transparency is a concern.. which is why i'm targeting buses/show cars...

its not for everyone.. thats for sure... :)

[G-spec]

^ that's the dude who's makin it all happen right there, you can ask him the questions directly.


t7n7, sorry I didn't make it on Saturday, I finished up moving around 6 on and had to be downtown at 7, so I didn't have time to stop by.... let me know if you guys have any more mini meets or get togethers and I'll drop by....

I was starving all day too, all I kept thinking about was the barbeque meat you said you were puttin down on the grille, lol

[t7n7]

Hey, np! i'll be posting pics and vids on Gdriver... I was high the whole time and just chilled out... got to meet a lot of people and was very nice to share some ideas in person with some of the drivers...

i'll be sure to drop another get together.. this time, i'll post it here as well.. I love this site!! lots of interesting threads and its nice to read about something different for a change :D

Adon, thanks again for sharing this. I'm glad to see that there are others who are interested in what i did. :)

[hk20000]

hmmmm I'm wondering if you can approach this the other way around. Like you know those cheesy solar powered keychains that flashes when there's charge in the capacitor?

http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles/upimg8%5CSolar-keychain_44478.jpg

These goes transparent when there is no charge in the system, can you work something out with this technology instead? (i.e. a complete panel of 1 color LCD where it only goes black when charged?)

Then it'll not be a safety concern as you can totally install a safety switch somewhere on the dash to kill the power.

[t7n7]

Hey, that was the first thing I looked into, however that tech works much differently and it has other issues that prevent it from being used for tints... (one of the main issues would be: cannot be applied, glass must be custom made)

if you are into car shows and really want to stand out.. give me a shout :)

Other stuff i did are... Massage seats.. talking car... remote control, remote security, live tv etc. I'll be more than happy to help you win.

[Dragon-88]

if you are into car shows and really want to stand out.. give me a shout :)

Other stuff i did are... Massage seats.. talking car... remote control, remote security, live tv etc. I'll be more than happy to help you win.

How many times have you won?

[t7n7]

NONE! :) .. I have never been to a car show..i don't plan on it either.. this is just a hobby and sometimes i do it because i need it.. (TV, massage seats, security etc.) BUT I love working on someone's car and making them happy!

[jlenko]

Neat idea... but those videos seriously suck. Stop fucking moving around with the camera and let me see what the glass is doing.

[hotong]

damn thats pretty cool.

[Vip13]

wow, now there's something.

[rmrpt21]

this windows film are available to buy?

price of film are?

best regards from portugal

[freakshow]

Another thread on a similar thing over on m5board.com

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e60-m5-e61-m5-touring-discussion/151420-anyone-install-smart-glass-their-m5-yet.html

[Konvict]

good you're still workin on this tech man! good luck with it!

id def get this on my next car

[zulutango]

"it is illegal to drive with a tint that prevents an officer of the law from lookin at the driver... if the car is parked.. you can do whatever you want.. in my case, you cannot look inside the car... "

Nope, see my earlier post. As long as the vehicle is on a "highway" it has to NOT have any tint film on any driver or passenger windows. Doesn't matter if it parked. The tint prohibition is also to do with the shatter properties designed into those windows, which your tint defeats. If you plan on offering it for sale, or selling it in in BC, you can be charged under the Motor vehicle act.

"222 A person must not sell, offer for sale, expose or display for sale or deliver over to a purchaser for use a motor vehicle, trailer or equipment for them that is not in accordance with this Act and the regulations."

[Shun Izaki]

That'd be hilarious in the changing room if it worked the other way around where if there was no current running to it would go to clear.

Watch a power outage at the mall.

[freakshow]

"it is illegal to drive with a tint that prevents an officer of the law from lookin at the driver... if the car is parked.. you can do whatever you want.. in my case, you cannot look inside the car... "

Nope, see my earlier post. As long as the vehicle is on a "highway" it has to NOT have any tint film on any driver or passenger windows. Doesn't matter if it parked. The tint prohibition is also to do with the shatter properties designed into those windows, which your tint defeats. If you plan on offering it for sale, or selling it in in BC, you can be charged under the Motor vehicle act.

"222 A person must not sell, offer for sale, expose or display for sale or deliver over to a purchaser for use a motor vehicle, trailer or equipment for them that is not in accordance with this Act and the regulations."Shops will probably just pull out the 'For Off Road Use Only' stamp and sell it anyways.

[zulutango]

So Mr Smith of ABZ Tiniting...you installed the tint in contravention to the MVRegs, knowqing that it was illegal, then you stamped the bill of sale saying that it was for "off road use only". The requirement of the Regs are that you NOT "deliver over to the purchaser for use"...yet you knew that MR Z, the moment he backed his car out of your garage, onto the parking lot/alley/street...was breaking the law. Did he show up with a tow truck to remove his vehicle from your business so the the car would be in compliance with the Regs. I assume this vehicle had current BC licence & registration...it DID have licence plates on it didn't it? If so you have to assume the vehicle will be driven on a Highway and therefore both you and Mr Z will be breaking the law.

Yup...I could see the court case go downhill very fast trying to use that lie. If the vehicler is licenced for use on a "highway" in BC, you can't excuse your actions by saying it is for "off road use". If it truely is for "show or off road use only", why spend the money to licence it for road use? There would be absoloutely no point in wasting the money.

[Benz_05TSX]

As long as this become legal for the front, I am down 100% too!! Hit me up when you get all the legal issues all sorted out!

[G-spec]

^ there is no legal issues, ZuluTango is quoting the same law that applies for regular window tint.... so basically this is no different than window tint in the eyes of the law.
It carries the same risks as window tint basically, and I don't know of one person who's decided not to get tint because of breaking this law, some people are worried about getting pulled over sure, but it's not a big deal to anyone really.

And there hundreds of shops in the city that do window tinting, I have no doubts whatsoever once this gets going they will be doing these installs as well without skipping a beat.

[zulutango]

Problem with the "legal issues" is that MVB can now issue variances for clear UV tint film but will NOT because it defeats the federally required shatter requirements of the driver & passengerdoor windows. I can't see them getting around that requirement and permitting this variable tint.