Reconfigurable liquid crystals for wearable applications

Xia, Yuanjie (2024) Reconfigurable liquid crystals for wearable applications. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis explores the integration of liquid crystal (LC) materials into wearable devices, focusing on applications beyond Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs). The investigation begins with a thorough review of smart contact lenses and glasses, identifying a gap in research on LC materials for vision assistance. Subsequent chapters introduced the background of LCs and summarized materials and techniques for LC cell fabrication. After that, I proposed methods for depositing materials on patterned surfaces, which could be used for the next generation of optic devices. Subsequently, my thesis demonstrates the reconfigurability of an antenna for smart glasses applications using LC materials, where the resonant frequency of the antenna can be tuned by LC substrate from 3.3 to 3.8 GHz. Moreover, due to the selective reflection nature of cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), I have shown how CLCs can be used in smart glasses. For example, I proposed CLC-based vision assist modules, which involve a CLC-based optical combiner (OC) and thermal-controlled glass lenses for epilepsy treatment. The CLC-based OC is able to seamlessly switch smart glasses between augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and transparent modes via temperature variation. Furthermore, the tunable glasses lens was proposed utilizing selective reflection of CLC materials to block a range of wavelengths of light that would trigger photosensitive epilepsy, showcasing the versatility of LC materials in healthcare applications. In conclusion, this thesis contributes to the advancement of reconfigurable and adaptive solutions in various wearable technologies using LC material, addressing critical aspects of Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) and healthcare needs.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: T Technology > T Technology (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering
• Supervisor's Name: Ghannam, Professor Rani and Heidari, Professor Hadi
• Date of Award: 2024
• Depositing User: Theses Team
• Unique ID: glathesis:2024-84284
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 01 May 2024 12:37
• Last Modified: 01 May 2024 14:22
• Thesis DOI: 10.5525/gla.thesis.84284
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/84284

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