Engineers create ‘smart glass’ with image recognition feature

Oddly enough, the glass panel does not have any electronic components or other mechanisms. 

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a unique text recognition system that does not consume any energy and can operate passively. 

The device features uniquely located reflecting and absorbing elements embedded in the plate. The unusual structure of the glass enables transmission of light along a particular pathway. For example, if you draw a number on the illuminated platform, the reflected light hits the glass and is refracted multiple times before leaving through a point that matches this particular number.

Thus, we have a highly specialized neural network that is built without any computing machines. 

One of the disadvantages of this development is the fact that there is no option to program the ‘smart glass’ for a particular purpose. On the other hand, this is also its main advantage:

this glass can be used in robotics, for elements like machine sensors used to identify the color of a traffic light. This system will be energy-efficient, cheap and reliable.