The online lighting retailer Lamps Plus has a very impressive service for customizing lamp shades. As a secondary business that uses the same technology and supply chain, they offer customized art prints. Not only can you mix and match a … Continue reading lamps plus
LUXeXceL is a Netherlands-based company that is experimenting with printing shallow optics using UV cureable polymers on clear substrates. According to their site: “On a transparent substrate such as PolyCarbonate, drops of clear UV-cureable polymer are jetted via the inkjet … Continue reading luxexcel
I’m a designer by heart. As such, I find no inspiration in making peoples lives cheaper; I only find inspiration in making their lives better. ROI – Return On Investment – is a metric that bores me. And I certainly … Continue reading design vs. “return-on-investment”
Via Core77, there is currently a Kickstarter project called LIFX gaining lots of momentum for a WIFI-connected LED light bulb. OK, it is nice that this proves out lots of interest in intelligent lighting in the Kickstarter community, but don’t all … Continue reading lifx
Cool Hunting has a post on a young Chinese fashion designer, Vega Zaishi Wang, who is experimenting with EL lighting in her clothing. A couple of the images really caught my eye…a nice revealing of light through the silhouette of the … Continue reading vega zaishi wang
Luminair is an iOS based DMX lighting controller from SyntheFX. Looks interesting, incorporating a bunch of features that really seem to exploit the unique interface features of iOS. Definitively shows the potential for tablet-based lighting interfaces, especially on real projects. Continue reading luminair for ipad
TYZX creates real-time 3D vision systems for a variety of applications. 3D vision systems allow computers to accurately understand the spatial location of people or objects moving through spaces. These 3D vision products have been around for some time; Electroland … Continue reading tyzx 3D stereo vision systems
Isadora by Troikatronix is a powerful tool for scripting and controlling a variety of interactive projects, such as live performances, interactive installations, dance clubs, etc. As their website exclaims: “The real-time media manipulation software to create stunningly interactive visuals, … Continue reading isadora by troikatronix
I found this terrific research piece by Margaret Maile Petty, a professor at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand, called “Perpetual Noon: Fluorescent Lighting and the Modern Office“. Apparently she wrote this piece during her time at Parsons in New … Continue reading perpetual noon: fluorescent lighting and the modern office
From 24° Studio, the same New York architects that created the beautiful “Hope Tree” installation I posted a couple years ago, another gorgeous temporary installation using paper modules with internal lighting called “Daphne“. This is a terrific example of what architectural lighting should … Continue reading 24° studio – daphne
Another awesome Leo Villareal video from a couple years ago, this one looks like a conceptual proposal video for a departure terminal at an airport. Bahrain International Airport- Departures from Leo Villareal on Vimeo. Continue reading leo villareal – bahrain airport
Nice video posted several years ago by Leo Villareal of his “Hive” installation. Hive from Leo Villareal on Vimeo. Continue reading leo villareal – hive
In a random search for images of pixel mapping, I found this awesome video on Vimeo by Simon Allen, showing his experiments with pixel mapping to moving-head fixtures on a sexy looking rig. The design looks awesome….nice video! Reminds me of … Continue reading simon allen – pixel mapping
Via ArchDaily, a very cool custom light fixture from .PSLAB that is conceived as an integral part of a residential circular staircase design. According to ArchDaily: “The lighting installation hangs from a partially recessed supporting plate with extruded profiles that … Continue reading .pslab staircase fixture
I’ve heard rumors that my former employer, Micron Technologies, is finally killing its floundering LED lighting ambitions, at least at the fixture level. Micron has a long, sad history of starting “hobby businesses” in an attempt to diversify outside of its core memory-chip business; Micron already killed its foray into PV Solar, which actually had far more traction then the LED group. Micron is clearly at fault for its own failure to achieve any meaningful traction in the hot LED market over the course of four years. But I think it is a great example of what you will see over the … Continue reading foretelling a massive industry shakeout?
Disney Parks’ Blog just released a video tour of the soon-to-be-opened Maurice’s Cottage character meet-and-greet attraction at the Magic Kingdom’s new Fantasyland Expansion. The video starts with a seemingly innocent construction site tour…and then WHAMMO…one of the most stunning special effects … Continue reading disney’s magic portal
Looking forward to the next James Bond flick? I am too…and pulled a few screen caps of awesome lighting scenes set in Shanghai from the promo vids: Above images from the international trailer: James Bond – Trailer Above images from … Continue reading james bond: skyfall
If you are a specifier trying to sort through “good” LED fixtures from “junk” LED fixtures, many of the design + engineering trade-offs in the product are often obfuscated. Heatsink design is one of those areas. Sometimes “good” LED fixtures require big-ass heatsinks; sometimes they have no apparent heatsink. Why? There was a smartly written post explaining the need to balance thermal conductivity of materials versus the convection rate of the overall heatsink design. In sum, a highly thermally-conductivity material (i.e. aluminum) does not necessarily help if the overall convection rate of the heatsink does not match the flow rate of … Continue reading thermal conductivity vs. convection rates
Part of my continuing vision for the future of architectural lighting is the potential to use natural bio-mass materials for fixture housings, instead of the high-embodied energy materials like steel and aluminum. An example of this is a design project … Continue reading molded hemp chair
I found this very interesting project on Pharos Controls blog page: The “Bridge of Peace” in the country of Georgia features interactive lighting along the pedestrian pathway. According to the blog post: The Bridge of Peace spanning the river Mtkvari … Continue reading bridge of peace
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