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back to article Boffins cook up transparent solar car roof

Like the idea of a car that has the all-round clear viewing of a convertible but doesn't let the rain in? Philips and chemicals giant BASF are working on the basis for just such a notion, using OLED technology. The two companies have created an OLED roof panel that's transparent when turned off. Turn it on and the panel …

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  1. Ian Stephenson
    Unhappy

    Wrong way round

    I would much rather it blocked out that overbright fusion reactor during the day and let me see the stars at night.

    4 0
  2. Stephen 2

    Like the glass in private rooms @ night clubs?

    Where you apply power and it goes from clear to blocked out/frosted.

    0 1
    1. M Gale
      Reply Icon

      was what I was wondering.

      Though what you describe is some kind of double glazed funkiness. This, I'm wondering how it will work at night since even a flashlight on in the car can turn a windscreen into a mirror. During daylight hours, how much light will those panels have to generate to counteract the sun?

      Cool invention though.

      2 0
  3. Martin
    Happy

    Next step...

    Peril-sensitive sunglasses...

    1 0
    1. LaeMing
      Reply Icon
      Go

      Peril-sensitive windscreens.

      Because the last thing you need when driving is the stress of seeing danger.

      1 0
  4. mark 63 Silver badge

    I'm not seeing the benefit

    my car already has windows all the way round.

    when i'm driving i need to be able to see out

    when its parked i dont want to be powering the windows all the time

    0 0
    1. Rameses Niblick the Third (KKWWMT)
      Reply Icon

      Thats a very good point, my car gets hot enough during the summer, without the cabin being built like a green house.

      1 0
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    Peachy - will fit with modern car stereos

    Peachy - yet another thing making the cockpit of my car brighter than the night around it. That will go well with all the flashing blue LEDs in the speakers, the radio that, inexplicably, runs an animation of a dolphin breaching all the time on the display, the satnav display.

    No wonder everybody feels the need to run their brights all the time, along with their fog lights - they CAN'T SEE otherwise.

    The one with the roll of masking tape in the pocket.

    3 0
  6. Mr Young
    Coffee/keyboard

    But?

    Will I get sunburn on me bald heid if I drive about in daylight?

    2 0
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Not likely

      Not likely: sunburn is caused by UV, which does not go through normal glass (it takes special quartz windows to allow UV devices to work correctly).

      This is unlikely to pass significant UV.

      0 0
  7. KrisM
    Thumb Down

    how woudl you see at night???

    If the cabin of the car was as bright as the concept picture, how would you see out of the car to be able to drive it? It would be a bit like the goldfish bowl effect of standing in a room at night, with all the lights on, and no curtains -you can't see outside, but the whole world gets to look in. Not a good approach for driving surely??

    clever idea tho, but not sure how practical it would be...

    1 0
  8. Richard Cartledge
    WTF?

    Eh? Sounds more like an invention looking for a use.

    I think they have failed to fine a useful use.

    1 1
  9. JC 2

    Just what I was looking for

    ... another way to drive up cost, complexity, resultant failure rate and repair cost of automobiles. It's almost as brilliant as a fancy all electronic gadgetized dash appliance that I'm not supposed to be looking at when driving for safety (and possible legal) reasons.

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