CES 2013 Eureka: ‘Smart Film’ Replaces Curtains, Goes Light to Dark via Wi-Fi

The Wi-Fi version from Sonte is on display at Eureka Park, the start-up section of CES at the Venetian. A Z-Wave version from Aeon Labs can be seen in the Z-Wave pavilion in the south hall of the LVCC.

The product is user-friendly. Cut it to size, peel off the adhesive and apply.

The companies aren’t saying what the film will cost, but Winston Cheng says the intention is to make it accessible for the masses.

He says, “We want to change the whole industry when it comes to curtains.”

It’s a tremendous innovation if it can be made affordable – I’ve always wanted that wildly expensive “smart glass” that turns opaque at the press of a button.

The problem with the Opulis film is that it’s not entirely see-through when it’s in the transparent mode. You get a noticeable “7 percent haze,” which affects both the brightness of the space and the view.

Also, unlike that pricey smart glass, this stuff doesn’t go totally opaque. Think of it more as a privacy curtain.

It also is an awesome solution for keeping the hot, bright sun out of your rooms.

Still, if it’s affordable, it makes great sense for plenty of applications, most notably office partitions.

And one more thing: “At your fingertip, your window or glass partition affixed to with our Sonte Film” can be transformed into a rear projection screen for TV, photos or family videos.

Don’t expect great quality on that end. It’s acceptable at best.

MORE CES 2013 COVERAGE HERE.