Electronic Tint on Demand for EVVA

The team of AlphaMicron Inc and ILC Dover propose using AMI's proprietary light control technology to provide electronic tint-on-demand for the next generation NASA Z-2 space suit. The technology is based on a guest - host liquid crystal system providing 1) electronic controlled dimmingwithmillisecond switching speeds, 2) military grade optics, 3) customizable singlecolor or multi-color solutions, 4) fails to clear state in less than one second, and 5) transmission window change of approximately 50%. For the Phase I program, the team is proposing a multi-pronged research and developmentapproach toprovidedimmable light control. The first approach is to thermoform dimmableliquid crystal films that match the curvature and shape of the bubble shaped inner visor of the EVVA. The second approach will be to prepare a custom eyewear with the same dimming functionality. The third path is a hybrid approach, combining the eyewear with thermoformed panels. While each utilizes thesame core LC technology, the different approaches carry different levels of developmentrisk and performance benefits. The eyewear pathis more technological advanced, while the full sized thermoformed film and the panel sized thermoformed films are currently at the early prototype stage of development. Given the current state of the technology. the propsed research can be completed within the six months. With the goal of developing a technology that can be integrated into the Z-2 spacesuit preparing variations of the technology provides multiple options for NASA to evaluate and determine which best meets the needs of the astronaut.