Corning, 160 year-old material science company that invented the glass for Thomas Edison’s light bulb, is on a mission to change the way the auto industry sees glass. Long known as a global leader in mobile device glass covers, Corning is hoping to keep up and capitalize on the rapidly changing habits of automotive buyers.
As tech-savvy millennials come of age and begin purchasing new vehicles, their worlds will converge with Corning’s Gorilla Glass® for Automotive applications. Unlike any other glass in the market, Gorilla Glass offers advanced technologies and replaces the standard glass on vehicles today for a whole new experience. This disruptive innovation will enhance the user experience for both drivers and passengers, according to Marty Curran, executive vice president and innovation officer at Corning. The glass designed for automobiles is even stronger than the glass on dozens of smartphones, allowing cars equipped with Gorilla Glass to withstand extreme temperature conditions.
Gorilla Glass: Transforming the Driving Experience
Corning’s “Connected Car” concept debuted at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It features:
- A lightweight, chip-proof, Gorilla Glass hybrid windshield with augmented reality capabilities. You can get real-time traffic updates and landmarks projected on a screen.
- Like a long continuous tablet, the Gorilla Glass dashboard and floating center console gives users integrated connectivity for information and entertainment.
- The Gorilla Glass hybrid sunroof darkens to prevent glare at the push of a button.
- Its lightweight design also helps improve fuel efficiency.
How many times you have had to replace a windshield thanks to a big truck with rocks in front of you? And there’s always that afternoon glare that no sunshield will conquer. Thanks to the continuous glass on the console, you could actually see what’s on your GPS and navigate in a whole new way.
“Driving” Innovative Solutions with New Technology
Corning has found both practical and technical ways to enhance and even transform the driving experience. For the ultimate driving experience, the BMW i8 is using Gorilla Glass as is the Ford 2000 GT. However, Gorilla Glass of this magnitude and size comes with a hefty price tag, and one that hasn’t made it to the economy car class.
These capabilities and applications are also transforming other Corning markets. They include:
- Fitness: An experience featuring a display mirror with augmented-reality and personalized feedback.
- Office: An office collaboration hub that encourages information and idea exchange and brings telecommuting to the next level.
- Home: A home hub that improves communications for people with busy schedules.
Corning continues to innovate in glass, optical physics, and fusion manufacturing, bringing new technologies and materials to the consumer electronics and automotive industries. Corning’s vision is a “world where real-time information is delivered seamlessly and everyday surfaces are transformed into sophisticated electronic devices.”
And to think that most of us were just hoping to never have to replace the glass on our smart phones again!
Images by Corning
The Innovation, Inspiration & Ideas blog was created to share stories and profiles of companies, products and individuals creating innovation in business through inventive material solutions. For more information on why we launched it, read our blog introduction.
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