VisionShield: Adaptive Grid Dimming Visor for Real-Time Sun Glare Mitigation

Overview

Low-angle, localized sun glare remains a significant driving hazard, often occurring during sunrise and sunset when traditional visors fail to block light below the driver’s line of sight and sunglasses offer only partial protection. This project introduces VisionShield, a smart, camera-guided visor designed to selectively block glare while preserving visibility. The prototype uses Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (PDLC) film divided into a 3×3 grid, controlled by a Raspberry Pi. A front-facing camera captures driving footage, and custom Python software (OpenCV) analyzes each frame to identify the brightest glare source. The detection algorithm applies thresholding followed by a moment-based centroid calculation, reinforced with connected-component analysis for improved stability. Once the glare location is determined, VisionShield activates the corresponding PDLC grid cell through a multi-channel relay module, replicating the effect of manual hand-blocking but in an automated and minimally obstructive manner. Testing used approximately 100 raw iPhone driving videos (about two hours total), capturing realistic low-angle sunlight conditions. The optimized detection algorithm achieved 95% accuracy in locating glare. PDLC cell activation reached 72% accuracy, with errors largely attributable to inherent PDLC limitations such as optical ghosting (crosstalk between segments) and hysteresis (slow or residual switching), both well-known challenges in liquid-crystal film technologies. The full prototype was constructed for under $100, demonstrating that effective glare mitigation can be achieved at low cost with readily available components. VisionShield shows strong promise as an inexpensive, real-time safety enhancement. While PDLC hysteresis remains the primary technical limitation, future designs may benefit from improved electrical isolation, refined electrode geometry, or machine-learning-based glare prediction for greater precision.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Applied Mechanics (Junior Division) · Entry J-02-13

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