Abstract: A system for use with a randomly dispersed chiral organic solution. The system includes: an infrared laser that outputs a light beam having a wavelength in an IR spectrum; a stage that holds the randomly dispersed chiral organic solution, the stage being arranged to receive the light beam from the infrared laser, the stage including a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) resonating cavity structure configured to generate chiral signals in a linear IR regime, the stage being configured to generate a second harmonic optical signal from the light beam, the second harmonic optical signal being in an ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, the stage being configured to output the second harmonic optical signal; a UV detector that can receive the second harmonic optical signal from the stage; and an analyzer being configured to determine a chiroptical signature for the randomly dispersed chiral organic solution based on the received second harmonic optical signal.

Abstract: A window can be used to detect objects located within an opening. A structure can define the opening. The window can be operatively positioned within the opening. The window can be movable to selectively open and close the opening. The window can include an optical grating operatively positioned near a closing edge of the window. A light source configured to emit light toward the optical grating. A detector operatively positioned to acquire spectroscopic data of the light emitted from the light source after the light has interacted with the optical grating. A processor can be operatively connected to the detector. The processor can be configured to: determine a temperature based on the spectroscopic data; determine, based on the temperature, whether an object is located in the opening; and responsive to determining that an object is located in the opening, control a movement of window.

Abstract: A window can comprise a first side and a second side substantially parallel to the first side. The window can comprise an optical grating operatively positioned with respect to one of the first side and the second side. The optical grating can be used to determine a temperature at or near the respective one of the first side and the second side.

Abstract: A dual side view display includes a waveguide with an inside transparent layer and an outside transparent layer spaced apart from and parallel to the inside transparent layer, and a plurality of inside view liquid crystal (LC) pixels and a plurality of outside view LC pixels disposed within the waveguide. The plurality of outside view LC pixels are disposed within the waveguide parallel to and in-plane with the plurality of inside view LC pixels. The plurality of inside LC pixels includes a plurality of outside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of inside view LC pixels from propagating through the outside transparent layer. Also, the plurality of outside view LC pixels includes a plurality of inside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of outside view LC pixels from propagating through the inside transparent layer.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to monitoring a vehicle user's reaction to an advertisement. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to determining commencement of an advertisement, request a user place a user's hand on an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. The EDA sensor is fixed to a dual-sided transparent display. The method includes acquiring EDA data relating to the user via the EDA sensor, determining a reaction of the user to the advertisement based on the EDA data, and transmitting the reaction of the user and at least one characteristic of the advertisement to a third party.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of Fresnel lenses disposed on an external surface of a vehicle; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the ambient light and the internal light to produce filtered ambient light and filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.

Abstract: A dual side view display includes a waveguide with an inside transparent layer and an outside transparent layer spaced apart from and parallel to the inside transparent layer, and a plurality of inside view liquid crystal (LC) pixels and a plurality of outside view LC pixels disposed within the waveguide. The plurality of outside view LC pixels are disposed within the waveguide parallel to and in-plane with the plurality of inside view LC pixels. The plurality of inside LC pixels includes a plurality of outside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of inside view LC pixels from propagating through the outside transparent layer. Also, the plurality of outside view LC pixels includes a plurality of inside blocking layers configured to block light scattered in the plurality of outside view LC pixels from propagating through the inside transparent layer.

Abstract: A vehicle includes an interior and an exterior, a surface within the interior, and a movable seat positioned over a first portion of the surface. The vehicle also includes a processor, a seat control system able to move the seat to expose the portion of the surface, and a light source able to illuminate a larger second portion of the surface which includes the first portion. The vehicle further includes a sensor to capture an image of the second portion of the surface, illuminated by the light source, and a cleaning element able to clean the second portion of the surface. The processor is configured to detect foreign material on the second portion of the surface, based on a comparison between the image and a stored image. The processor is also configured to activate the cleaning element, after detecting the foreign material on the second portion of the surface.

Abstract: System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to estimating depth using a machine learning (ML) model. In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring image data according to criteria from a detector that uses a lens to resolve multiple angles of light per section of the detector. The method also includes mapping a kernel to the image data according to a view associated with the section and a size of the kernel. The method also includes processing the image data using the ML model to produce the depth according to the size of the kernel.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a system with an electroactive substrate, a plurality of nanoparticles, and a control unit. The plurality of nanoparticles deposited in communication with the electroactive substrate. The control unit is configured to manipulate a shape of the electroactive substrate between an unactuated mode and an actuated mode to change an absorption band or an emission band of the plurality of nanoparticles. When the electroactive substrate shape is manipulated, the absorption band or the emission band of the plurality of nanoparticles is changed to tune the system for a radiative cooling based on a current dominating wavelength.

Abstract: An optical metasurface which shifts resonant frequency in response to changing temperature. The optical metasurface includes a membrane printed in a pattern from materials with a high coefficient of thermal expansion (“CTE”). The optical metasurface can include a plurality of high CTE fibers/structures in a first direction and a plurality of low CTE fibers/structures in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. Alternatively, the high CTE substrate can include a plurality of high CTE fibers/structures in only a first direction. The high CTE substrate can include a plurality of high CTE fibers and a plurality of low CTE fiber in a pattern which creates desired sensing domains. An array of nanostructures is formed on the high CTE substrate. The array of nanostructures is designed to resonate with light transmitted through or impinging upon the optical metasurface. The resonant frequency of the response can be tuned thermally.

Abstract: A vehicle includes a cleanable surface disposed within its interior. The vehicle also includes a processor, a light source able to illuminate the surface, and a sensor configured to capture an image of the surface while the surface is illuminated by the light source. The vehicle also includes a passenger survey system for receiving input from a passenger regarding cleanliness of the surface. The processor is configured to adjust a detection threshold based on the input, and to detect foreign material on the surface based on the detection threshold and a comparison between the captured image and a stored image. After detecting the foreign material on the surface, the processor indicates that the vehicle needs to be cleaned, and may initiate an automatic cleaning procedure.

Abstract: An active reflective filter includes an electroactive optical layer with an electroactive polymer (EAP) layer and a plurality of elements disposed in the EAP layer. The plurality of elements disposed in the EAP layer form or provide a periodic lattice and a spectral window, and the EAP layer is configured to change shape such that the periodic lattice and the spectral window change when a voltage is applied across the EAP layer. The active reflective filter can be included in waveguides and displays such as one-sided transparent displays, dual-sided transparent displays, and augmented reality glasses, among others.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of metasurface lenses disposed on an external surface of a vehicle; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the ambient light and the internal light to produce filtered ambient light and filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.

Abstract: A stacked three-dimensional (3D) metasurface includes a first layer with a first kernel configured to apply a first convolution on a first frequency of an incident polarized light, and a second layer with a second kernel different than the first kernel. The second kernel is configured to apply a second convolution different than the first convolution on a second frequency of the incident polarized light and the second frequency is different than the first frequency such that the stack 3D metasurface provides at least two independent convolutions on the incident polarized light.

Abstract: Embodiments of a dual-sided transparent display panel are presented herein. One embodiment comprises a first panel subassembly and a second panel subassembly, each of the first and second panel subassemblies including a plurality of adjacent layers, the plurality of adjacent layers including, from an innermost layer to an outermost layer, a first electrode layer, a first polyimide layer, a liquid-crystal matrix, a second polyimide layer, a second electrode layer, and a glass layer; a waveguide disposed between an inner surface of the first electrode layer of the first panel subassembly and an inner surface of the first electrode layer of the second panel subassembly; and one or more light sources disposed along an edge of the waveguide that is perpendicular to the inner surface of the first electrode layer of the first panel subassembly and the inner surface of the first electrode layer of the second panel subassembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving the brightness of a transparent display are disclosed herein. One embodiment collects ambient light using an array of diffraction gratings disposed on an external surface of a vehicle to produce filtered ambient light; collects internal light from the vehicle's headlights; filters the internal light to produce filtered internal light; generates primary-source light using a light-emitting-diode (LED) light source; and injects, into a transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display deployed in at least a portion of a window of the vehicle, the primary-source light, the filtered ambient light, and the filtered internal light in a color-synchronized manner. The filtered ambient light and the filtered internal light improve the brightness of the transparent edge-lit liquid crystal waveguide display.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to monitoring a vehicle user's health and initiating a vehicle action based on the user's health and emotional state. In one embodiment, a method includes, responsive to detecting an event based on sensor data, requesting a user place the user's hand on an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor. The EDA sensor is fixed to a dual-sided transparent display. The method includes acquiring EDA data relating to the user via the EDA sensor, determining a condition of the user based on the EDA data, and implementing a vehicle action in response to the condition of the user.

Abstract: A meta-crystal slab includes photonic structure with an input surface and an output surface, and a plurality of first voxels with a first permittivity and a plurality of second voxels with a second permittivity not equal to the first permittivity disposed between the input surface and the output surface. The photonic structure has a periodicity greater than an operating photonic wavelength ‘?’ for general convolution by the photonic structure and the photonic structure is configured to provide an output image with a convolution of an input image.

Abstract: A window can be used for object detection and/or identification. The window can have a first side and a second side. An optical grating can be operatively positioned with respect to the first side of the window. A light source can be configured to emit light toward the optical grating. A detector can be operatively positioned to acquire spectroscopic data of the light emitted from the light source after the light has interacted with the optical grating. Using the optical grating, a temperature at or near the first side can be determined. Based on the temperature, it can be determined whether an object is located on the first side of the window.