Transparent OLEDs might not make a lot of sense in televisions, but what about putting them in your car? Philips and chemical company BASF have developed a prototype car roof that combines OLED panels with transparent solar cells. During the day, the roof lets in light from outside, which also charges the solar cells. At night, the panels turns into a car light, using the power stored earlier.
Prototype solar-powered OLED sun roof is window by day, light by night
Philips and chemical company BASF have developed a transparent OLED car roof prototype. Powered by solar panels, the roof is clear during the day and turns into a car light at night.
Philips and chemical company BASF have developed a transparent OLED car roof prototype. Powered by solar panels, the roof is clear during the day and turns into a car light at night.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
In theory, this isn’t all that different from the transparent OLED or smart window concepts we’ve written up before, including ones specifically designed for cars. However, the implementation for this is simple and (relatively) practical, using the OLED for light rather than as a screen or augmented reality display. It’s also the first design we’ve seen with solar panels layered directly onto a transparent OLED. If it’s anything like the concept above, you won’t be getting a single, solid window (possibly for strength or security reasons), but the ceiling window isn’t exactly there for looking at scenery anyways.
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