A transparent screen might seem to be a far fetched idea even in this technologically advanced age, as the ones that are in the market these days seem to lose out on their practicality. Bigger models tend to be expensive and bulky, while smaller heads-up displays have extremely narrow viewing angles. MIT researchers might have the solution to this issue with their prototype nanoparticle display. The device itself will create color images on a glass surface through the act of ‘tuning’ a silver nanoparticle coating all the way until it lets only certain light wavelengths pass through.
This particular technique happens to be extremely cost effective and compact, as it does not require anything other than the coating and some off-the-shelf projector technology. Apart from that, one does not need to have beam splitters or mirrors in the equation, letting you view the picture from just about any angle. Of course, the road ahead is still long and far before a finished product can roll off the assembly line, but researchers claim that their display will be as easy to implement as though you were going to tint a window. One thing is for sure, once this gets commercialized, we would end up with a far more vibrant advertising industry. [Press Release]