Mar 4 2008
GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems Inc. has acquired a license from Research Frontiers Inc., the developer and licensor of SPD-Smart™ light-control film technology. The license grants GKN Aerospace the right to manufacture and offer armored SPD-SmartGlass™ products utilizing Research Frontiers’ patented light-control technology for armored transportation vehicles. The fees and minimum annual royalties payable to Research Frontiers and other license terms were not disclosed.
When integrated with glass or plastic sunroofs, windshields, side and rear windows, and other vehicle glazings, SPD-Smart film gives users the ability to rapidly, precisely and uniformly control the amount of light, glare and heat entering the vehicle. Under the license agreement, GKN Aerospace can offer armored SPD-Smart products to numerous transportation vehicle markets including passenger cars, trucks, trains, RVs, armored personnel carriers, tanks, amphibious vehicles and warships.
SPD-Smart armored vehicle glazings provide greater security due to on-demand privacy capability, increase passengers’ comfort, and protect passengers and interiors from heat and harmful ultraviolet radiation. SPD-Smart technology empowers users by offering instant, real-time control over the environment to suit one’s preference or requirements.
SPD-Smart transparencies can be optically clear, block over 99.5% of visible light, and are tunable manually or automatically to any level of light transmission between clear and dark. All of this is done instantly and uniformly regardless of the size of the window – advantages that other smart window technologies, such as liquid crystals or electrochromics, cannot offer.
Jim Dauw, President and CEO of GKN Aerospace Special Products commented: “We are a company committed to the highest standards of excellence in technological innovation, product quality and customer service. Having followed the trends in smart glass for several years, we believe it is now essential that we offer a smart glass feature to our transparency products. We believe SPD-Smart film technology will meet customer demand for instant control of light, and for the ability to take light levels to an extremely dark state when desired, and will integrate effectively with specialized materials and designs.”
Joseph M. Harary, President of Research Frontiers, noted: “We are pleased that GKN approached us for a license. GKN’s various business units make them the worldwide leader in many of the markets relevant to SPD-Smart light-control technology. This initial agreement with GKN is a great way for GKN to begin working with Research Frontiers and our licensees to facilitate the introduction of SPD-Smart products in various high-end markets. Their worldwide resources, manufacturing capabilities, customer base, and complementary technologies are formidable additions to the growing SPD industry for smart products and we welcome them to our family of licensees around the world.”