Detailed discussions of lighting related technologies.
Nothing like a good dose of vanity… Via DPReview – Lumee Duo is an iPhone case with built-in illumination I can imagine that for some serious photographers, this will be quite interesting. Amazing the brightness and quality LEDs can now achieve … Continue reading lumee duo
Via Architect Magazine, a very interesting concept from 3M to help reduce excessive sunlight glare in perimeter offices. They’ve created a microprismatic window film that steers the light upward, along with a little diffusion to soften any highlights. Surely this … Continue reading 3m daylight redirecting film
I’ve already talked about the convergence of lighting, audio and video content systems in modern architectural projects. Here is a new example, at the discrete scale of small retail. Piri is a new line from Sweden-based Nordic Light that combines … Continue reading piri
Audi continues with it advanced R+D into projection headlights. Interesting – looks like they have a couple different ways to achieve the projection – one a is a digital mirror chip (sounds like Texas Instruments’ DLP tech) and a second … Continue reading audi’s matrix laser headlights
Looks like Rohinni is making progress. Congrats to them for their second coverage in FastCompany. This article teases a bit more detail then what we knew from two years ago: They are apparently developing technologies to more accurately place the … Continue reading rohinni: update
I will be adding this to my personal “Tony Stark’s workshop” wishlist… P-Laser and ESR Laser make industrial grade laser equipment for burning rust, grime, oil, etc. off of metal parts. A heavy duty use of light…I would suggest some … Continue reading laser rust removal
UK-based Plessey Semiconductor recently released an ultra-low profile LED module series named Orion that appears to combine chip-scale-packages with ultra-compact optics to create LED module assemblies under 1 cm in height, with beam angles as tight at 15 degrees. Its nice … Continue reading plessey semiconductor
Lensvector is a SiliconValley-based startup developing an electronically tuneable liquid-crystal lens system that can change a beam of light from spot to flood without any moving optics. Lensvector is a tech spin-out of Laval University’s Center for Optics, Photonics and … Continue reading Lensvector
My former colleagues at Lam Partners are incorporating some impressive rendering capabilities into their lighting design work flows, using NVIDIA’s Iray rendering software integrated into modeling packages like Rhino and 3Ds. Plus they’ve got some fun new toys like a … Continue reading lam partners and nvidia iray
Silvair is a San Francisco-based startup focusing on creating a lighting controls platform around Bluetooth Low Energy technology. The three year old startup just received $12m in Series A funding. Seems competitive to Casambi in many ways. I’m hoping all these … Continue reading silvair
UPDATE: MondoARC edited out the “world record” claim. Thanks MondoARC! In a recent post on MondoARC, Pulsar Lighting claimed to have a world record for longest LED installation: The company believes this to be a World first with Pulsar holding … Continue reading the 100,000 hour club
Casambi is 5-year old venture started by two former Nokia employees. Casambi is focused on developing a complete lighting system around the Bluetooth Low Energy techology standard. As they write on their site: Casambi Technologies’ wireless lighting control solution is … Continue reading casambi
Elon Musk continues to dazzle… Tesla just launched their Solar Roof product line, an amazing example of embedding electronics (in this case solar photovoltaic cells) directly into architectural materials (in this case roofing tiles). Tesla is displaying a fantastic, innovative … Continue reading tesla’s glass/solar electric roof tiles
Philips Lighting announced it is participating in a $7m investment round for PointGrab, an Israeli startup developing “smart-building” sensor technology. I’m reposting their white paper below for posterity: Smarter Sensors: How Deep Learning is Transforming Building Automation Jonathan Laserson, PhD … Continue reading pointgrab
Several technology trends are coming together – digitally printed conductive inks, conductive adhesives for pick’n’place machines, ultra small LEDs and other electronic components – to make injection-molded structural electronics very interesting for the lighting industry. The immediate application is obviously … Continue reading tactotek injection molded electronics
An interesting new lighting control system called Lightcloud from RAB Lighting was just launched. They promote it as a “ground up” system design and I can see why. I don’t normally review specific manufacturers product launches (especially since I work for … Continue reading lightcloud by rab lighting
Computer peripherals maker Logitech launched a battery operated, wireless smart home switch called “POP”. They’re labeling it a “home” switch instead of “light” switch because they’re promoting it as both a light and music controller, compatible with a wide variety … Continue reading POP home switch by logitech
A marketing mail came across my inbox from Planar announcing their latest direct-view LED screens offering an incredibly fine 0.9mm pixel pitch. To do the math, that’s 25.4mm / 0.9 = 28 pixels per inch, or thinking of it by … Continue reading 0.9mm pitch LED screens: approaching “retina” quality for architecture?
ISTL has some interesting multi-protocol, centralized LED driver products available. The White Knight 36 is the world’s first LED driver to integrate an advanced control system alongside a powerful 1000W driver stage, capable of controlling up to 36 independent output channels with the widest ever range of dimming control protocols. The White Knight 36 can be dynamically configured to use DALI, DMX, DSI, RDM, Art-Net3, KiNET & sACN dimming protocols, whilst being able to monitor external occupancy and ambient light sensors without the need for expensive external control systems. Continue reading integrated system technologies
As part of the renovation of the Central Station at Eindhoven in the Netherlands, a new luminous ceiling is being installed throughout. Here is the concept video: I shot some pictures during construction. I believe the contractor installing the ceiling … Continue reading luminous ceiling at eindhoven station
