Gorilla Glass – the damage-resistant material designed by Corning, N.Y.-based Corning Inc. that protects the majority of Android smartphones – could soon be protecting your car’s windshield too.
On Thursday the company revealed a concept car at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that incorporates Gorilla Glass into its windshield, sunroof and, in a touch that makes the car look especially futuristic, interior console.
That’s not depicting an exotic view through the front window. That’s the screen Corning has installed along the dashboard – and there’s another digital display on the wheel. (Courtesy Corning)
In a Jan. 5 statement, Corning executive vice president and innovation officer Marty Curran said the company’s goal was not only to deliver “lighter” and “tougher” glass to the automotive industry, but “more optically advantaged solutions” as well that would lead to a safer, more enjoyable – and even more fuel-efficient – experience for drivers and passengers alike.
“Corning’s leading position in mobile device cover glass has provided an excellent launch pad for glass solutions enabling smart-phone like connectivity in cars,” Curran said. “We are excited to be demonstrating all of these new technologies and opportunities in a custom-built connected car.”
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Among other features, the “Connected Car” Corning unveiled at CES includes:
- A lightweight Gorilla Glass hybrid windshield with augmented reality features that provide real-time traffic and landmark updates;
- A Gorilla Glass dashboard, including a floating center console and passenger-side video screen;
- Gorilla Glass hybrid sunroof and backlights, which are lighter than their conventional auto glass counterparts and therefore improve fuel efficiency, and also include an opacity layer.
No word on when we can expect to see these new windshields, but according to Mashable, which posted a series of videos of Corning’s Connected Car in action, the company is already collaborating with glass manufacturer Saint Gobain Glass, so it looks like your next vehicle will be protected from stray stones in the road sooner than later.
