Vice-president of product and marketing at Kinestral Technologies, manufacturer of smart-tinting glass Halio.
Traditional ultraviolet films have been effective in keeping heat and harmful rays out of buildings and interior spaces; the only problem lies in the reduced amount of natural light entering the space, resulting in interiors looking dark and gloomy at times. To address this problem, Californian company Kinestral Technologies launched Halio smart-tinting glass. We find out more about this innovative product from Craig Henricksen, vice-president of product and marketing at Kinestral Technologies.
With the facades of many modern buildings mostly clad in glass, having the fiexibility of using clear and tinted glass is important to maximise the function of interior spaces, without compromising on style. For example, you’d want to dim your living room when watching a movie in the day, yet still enjoy a clear view of the surrounding scenery at other times.
“Halio smart-tinting glass maximises natural light into your spaces, while reducing glare, blocking heat and ensuring thermal comfort,” shares Craig. When glare is detected, “Halio starts tinting within 15 seconds to deliver glare relief and shade, achieving desired tint levels in less than three minutes”, he adds.
Unlike conventional polymer-dispersed liquid crystal glass, which instantly tints to become opaque when activated, but remains hazy when not in use, Halio is completely clear when inactivated, just like regular glass surfaces. When activated, Halio blocks 99.9 per cent of UV light. “This helps to prolong the life of valuable carpets, prevent sun damage of upholstery and paintings. You’ll no longer need blinds, curtains or shades too,” explains Craig.
It’s designed to cater to homeowners’ convenience, so you can opt to integrate home automation systems and control Halio through mobile phones, tablets, or voice-controlled systems, if you like. That way, you can also remotely and easily turn on Halio in certain parts of the home at different times of the day. At night, for instance, you can choose to tint the glass to offer privacy and a cosy ambience in the home, while doing away with blinds or curtains, to keep your home as minimalist as possible.
Aside from facades, Halio offers the possibility of keeping interior spaces open yet private, when required. “Compact living spaces can now look and feel larger with Halio being used as interior walls, for sliding doors and even partitions,” Craig shares, on the possibilities of this new technology in interior design.
C: Halio changes the amount of visible light that enters the home. It’s glass that tints automatically or on command, and stays clear the rest of the time. In comparison, traditional UV films are a static solution applied on windows and may end up making your home look dark unnecessarily.
