Corning is a material supplier to many parts of the consumer electronics, even though they typically do not supply any devices under the Corning brand name. One exception to this business approach is in communication networks, where they offer not only optical cables but also wireless solutions. This business group was shown as part of one display of an infotainment wall, that basically showcased a video wall, where every display carried different FHD content. The panels were all covered in Gorilla Glass and the connectivity was provided by optical HDMI cables.
Another demo showed an 84” collaboration surface based on a horizontal 84” display allowing multiple users to interact by sharing and moving content around the surface. This kind of approach is not new, but the size was indeed impressive and allowed several people to stand around the table and work simultaneously.
There was also a retail window concept that combined a holographic screen with transparent multitouch control surface. The holographic screen allowed a projector to bring information content to the surface where a customer could select products and add them to a shopping cart. Since the whole window is transparent, real products could displayed behind the screen, similar to concepts shown by Samsung and LG with their transparent displays. In addition Corning had some optical fibers running through the space that glowed without being illuminated from the outside. Instead, they glow from the inside through light loss.
The last display showed a car concept that demonstrated the use of glass in the car. Besides all the windows and windshields Corning also makes firewalls for high performance cars out of glass. The important position from Corning was that using Gorilla Glass as one of the laminated windshield panes could lead to weight savings. For example the Ford GT high performance model saves 12 lbs by using Corning’s glass. In addition, losing the weight in a relative high location of the car lowers the center of gravity, a highly desirable outcome for performance cars. -NH
