Technologies & Research

Resources | LpR Article | Technologies | Applications | Jan 15, 2018
Multi-Pixel LED Technology Opens New Horizons for Smart Lighting Applications
Multi-Pixel LED Technology Opens New Horizons for Smart Lighting Applications The evolution of Multi-Pixel LED technology has initiated a giant leap in the development of intelligent lighting systems which are most visible in the automotive industry. Now the first hybrid LED provides smart headlights with more than 1000 individually controllable pixels. Ralph Bertram, who is working on advanced LED device concepts, and Norbert Harendt, who is developing optics solutions for general lighting at Osram Opto Semiconductors, show that automotive lighting is just one of the potential areas in which intelligent selective pixel control can be applied. Options for the use in general lighting, such as information display for outdoor, indoor, retail or industrial applications, are very versatile. Read more »
Resources | LpO Article | Event-Reports | Technologies | Measurement | Jan 11, 2018
Measurement Seminar – from SSL to Displays
Measurement Seminar – from SSL to Displays For the third consecutive year, Instrument Systems invited engineers from all industries that deal with light measurement of SSL products and different kinds of displays to their seminar. LED professional’s Editor in Chief, Arno Grabher-Meyer, was also pleased to receive (and accept) an invitation. In this article he shows what attendees can expect, who might find this event of interest, who would benefit the most and who should definitely not miss the next opportunity to attend. Read more »
Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Dec 13, 2017
Atomistic Calculations Predict that Boron Incorporation Increases the Efficiency of LEDs
Atomistic Calculations Predict that Boron Incorporation Increases the Efficiency of LEDs High-power white LEDs face the same problem that Michigan Stadium faces on game day -- too many people in too small of a space. Of course, there are no people inside of an LED. But there are many electrons that need to avoid each other and minimize their collisions to keep the LED efficiency high. Using predictive atomistic calculations and high-performance supercomputers at the NERSC computing facility, researchers Logan Williams and Emmanouil Kioupakis at the University of Michigan found that incorporating the element boron into the widely used InGaN (indium-gallium nitride) material can keep electrons from becoming too crowded in LEDs, making the material more efficient at producing light. Read more »
Augmented Reality | Technologies | Nov 13, 2017
NEC Improves Workplace Efficiency with AR Solution Utilizing Smart Glasses
NEC Improves Workplace Efficiency with AR Solution Utilizing Smart Glasses Tokyo, November 7, 2017 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) today announced the development of an Augmented Reality (AR) solution to assist users with the selection of items through the use of smart glasses, a smart watch and new "ARmKeypad" functions. This solution enables users to perform tasks without having to look away from objects, making it ideal for use in manufacturing, logistics and other industries. Currently, NEC is carrying out demonstration tests at a hospital pharmacy and a manufacturing floor, where it has confirmed a reduction in workplace errors and working time thanks to the assistance of the new solution. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Technologies | Light Generation | Tunable White Light | Oct 31, 2017
A New Technology Is Changing the Tunable White Solutions
A New Technology Is Changing the Tunable White Solutions Tunable white LEDs are one key element of human centric lighting. Until today, different solutions are currently available but none of them is easy to apply or cost effective enough to speed up the diffusion of human centric lights in building projects. A new approach for tunable white solutions is able to provide flexible lighting for multiple occasions without sacrificing output or going over project budget. Phil Lee, Senior Lighting Engineer from Meteor Lighting will compare this new technology, called ColorFlip™, to conventional tunable white solutions, and talk about current tunable white issues. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Technologies | LiFi | Oct 31, 2017
LiFi - What It Is, How It Works, What It Provides, How to Apply, and Its Future Prospects
LiFi - What It Is, How It Works, What It Provides, How to Apply, and Its Future Prospects The acronym LiFi (Light Fidelity) was born at the beginning of the 2010s. Its name derives from the very well-known WiFi (Wireless Fidelity). The term VLC (Visible Light Communication) is used in the restricted instances of visible light. Mr. Luc Chassage who works for Oledcomm and the Versailles University is also Scientific Committee President of the Global LiFi Congress that offers 20 lectures dealing with all aspects of LiFi. He is a profound expert in this technology field. Mr. Chassage explains the functionality, pitfalls and hurdles to overcome, the disadvantages and advantages, and best practice to apply LiFi. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Event-Reports | Technologies | Trends | Oct 31, 2017
LpS Gets a Younger Sibling to Foster a Holistic System Approach
LpS Gets a Younger Sibling to Foster a Holistic System Approach For the most part our readers are aware of the fact that the LpS has a strong focus on the component level, but after the 6th event, the Luger Research team realized that it was time to find a way to push the more holistic system approach. After much consideration and careful planning, the Trends in Lighting (TiL) Forum and Show was initiated and took place in conjunction with the LpS 2017. Arno Grabher-Meyer, Editor-in-Chief at LED professional took a close look at both exhibitions and the lectures to find out what the audience thought of the extension and broader outlook. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Research News | CIE | Quality | Oct 31, 2017
Color Reproduction and Measurement of 3D Objects
Color Reproduction and Measurement of 3D Objects CIE Division 8 Image Technology is responsible for the study of the optical, visual and metrological aspects of the communication, processing, and reproduction of images, using all types of analogue and digital imaging devices, storage media, and imaging media. The Division is continually working on recommendations to improve color image reproduction techniques, including, for example, colorappearance models, color-difference evaluation and gamut-mapping algorithms. Current technology is able to transform color images from one digital medium to another, under various viewing conditions, while maintaining the appearance of each color in the image. This process has been applied in the graphic arts industry with great success. According to Kaida Xiao, Chair of CIE's Division 8 TC 8-17, the CIE standard observer and psychophysical data for color-appearance and color-difference modelling were developed using flat, 2D color samples. He explains that to meet the increasing requirements for color image reproduction for 3D objects, new research and recommendations are highly desired. Read more »
Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Automotive | Oct 02, 2017
Eviyos LED Prototype Revolutionizes Smart Headlights
Eviyos LED Prototype Revolutionizes Smart Headlights The Eviyos prototype developed by Osram Opto Semiconductors is the world’s first hybrid LED and represents major progress toward the first market-ready smart controllable high-resolution LED. As soon as oncoming traffic is detected the appropriate pixels are automatically switched off so drivers of oncoming vehicles are not dazzled. The prototype, integrated in a demonstrator from Osram Specialty Lighting, were on show for the first time at ISAL from September 25 through 27, 2017 in Darmstadt. Read more »
Technologies | OLEDs | Flexible OLEDs | Sep 21, 2017
OLEDs Applied to Paper-Thin Stainless Steel
OLEDs Applied to Paper-Thin Stainless Steel Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, a provider of R&D in the field of organic electronics, will be presenting OLEDs on gauzy stainless steel foil during aimcal 2017 in Tampa/USA, from October 15-18, 2017. The novel application on display in Booth 22 was developed in cooperation with the Nippon Steel & Sumikin Materials Co., Ltd. (NSMAT) and Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (NSSMC). Read more »
Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Sep 15, 2017
Tracing the Light Inside an LED
Tracing the Light Inside an LED The performance of white LEDs can be improved, based on better knowledge of the absorption and scattering of light inside the LED. A new method, developed by the University of Twente in The Netherlands and Philips Lighting, can lead to efficiency improvement and powerful design tools. Read more »
Technologies | LEDs | Light Generation | Sep 15, 2017
Nanoparticles Could Spur Better LEDs, Invisibility Cloaks
Nanoparticles Could Spur Better LEDs, Invisibility Cloaks In an advance that could boost the efficiency of LED lighting by 50 percent and even pave the way for invisibility cloaking devices, a team of University of Michigan researchers has developed a new technique that peppers metallic nanoparticles into semiconductors. Read more »
Light Generation | Technologies | OLEDs | Flexible OLEDs | Sep 12, 2017
Flexible OLEDs with Adjustable Colors – New Design Options for Lighting Designers
Flexible OLEDs with Adjustable Colors – New Design Options for Lighting Designers The Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, one of the leading R&D partners for surface technologies and organic electronics, specializes in the development and fabrication of OLED modules with unconventional properties for specific client designs. The Institute will debut flexible adjustable-color organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) at ISAL 2017 in Darmstadt, Germany from September 25-27, 2017 at its booth (No. 31). Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Technologies | Light Conversion | Quantum Dots | Sep 12, 2017
Quantum Dot Based White LEDs for General Illumination
Quantum Dot Based White LEDs for General Illumination Colloidal quantum dot based white LEDs can be integrated into commercial products meeting the stringent reliability requirements for general illumination and providing LED efficiency gains of 5% to 15% over commercial phosphor based LEDs at CCT’s ranging from 5000 K to 2700 K. Unlike earlier demonstrations, the QD material is applied in an on-chip configuration resulting in drop-in fit, form, and function compatibility to existing LED based luminaires and lamps. Ken T. Shimizu, Director, Novel Technologies and Devices, Research and Development, M. Böhmer, D. Estrada, S. Gangwal, S. Grabowski, H. Bechtel, E. Kang, K. J. Vampola, D. Chamberlin, O. B. Shchekin, and J. Bhardwaj from Lumileds showcase the advantages of on-chip QD LEDs: A commercial lamp at 3000K color temperature and 90 CRI is substituted with QD based LEDs resulting in a system level efficiency gain up to 17%, attributed to the reduced blue LED droop from the lower drive current and the lower heat sink temperature when compared to the standard phosphor based LED lamp output. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Research News | CIE | Health | Sep 12, 2017
CIE Calls for Focused Research Efforts to Support Healthful Lighting Recommendations
CIE Calls for Focused Research Efforts to Support Healthful Lighting Recommendations Not so long ago, vision scientists thought that light detection - photoreception - was exclusively performed by rod and cone cells in the retina. Photobiologists, however, conclusively demonstrated otherwise with the identification of the intrinsically photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) [1]. Whereas rods and cones detect pattern and color, and send this information to the visual cortex, ipRGCs (of which we are learning there are several subtypes) detect irradiance, and route their information to many brain structures. The most thoroughly studied of these is the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, location of the central circadian clock, where the light and dark signals trigger the offset and onset of production of the hormone melatonin. As shown in figure 1, however, ipRGCs also project to other structures, about which, as yet, we have little information. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Commentary | Technologies | Trends | Sep 11, 2017
Brave New World and the Dualism of Light(ing)
Brave New World and the Dualism of Light(ing) The lighting business has been quite predictable over a long period of time. Technical changes were introduced slowly, dominated by a handful of leading companies, and mostly due to new, but not disruptive light sources. The life of engineers was mainly determined by a manageable number of parameters: Lighting requirements, light source parameters, costs, product dimensions, and the odd, required feature. Read more »
Technologies | Light Conversion | LEDs | Quantum Dots | Aug 23, 2017
1000 Hour Quantum Dot LED Milestone Surpassed by Quantum Materials Corp
1000 Hour Quantum Dot LED Milestone Surpassed by Quantum Materials Corp Leading American Cadmium Free Quantum Dot manufacturer Quantum Materials Corp announced successfully surpassing the 1000 hour continuous on-time durability test for the Company's cadmium-free quantum dots in a remote light emitting diode (LED) application. The testing has been conducted with red and green quantum dots encapsulated in resin and mounted to blue emitting LED's (see diagram below), which are similar to the type of LED's used in standard LCD display back light units (BLU). Read more »
Technologies | Resources | Smart Lighting + IoT | Electronics | LpR Article | Jul 12, 2017
SoC Technologies in Lighting - Today’s Landscape and Tomorrow's Practices
SoC Technologies in Lighting - Today’s Landscape and Tomorrow's Practices A system-on-chip (SoC) quite suddenly became an important component in the lighting industry, fueling IoT innovation and opening new opportunities, while at the same time bringing disruption and new challenges. With rapid advancements in wireless communication, the impact of connected technologies on the lighting business will only keep increasing. This means deeper integration with SoCs and more attention from silicon vendors as they start competing for market share in this promising segment. But what is the current state of SoC design from the lighting perspective? Are chipmakers keeping up with the growing expectations for wireless lighting control solutions that are mature and truly reliable? When developing its complete Bluetooth software stack for professional lighting, Silvair worked with a number of different SoCs. Therefore, Piotr Winiarczyk, Wireless Solution Architect, and Szymon Rzadkosz might have found the answers to these questions. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Technologies | Electronics | Drivers | Jul 12, 2017
LED Driver Miniaturization - Opening New Opportunities for Solid State Lighting
LED Driver Miniaturization - Opening New Opportunities for Solid State Lighting While LEDs have significantly improved over the past decade, driver technologies have not kept pace and are, in some respects, the limiting factors for new applications. Size is a particular issue. Dramatically increasing the switching frequency helps to reduce size but often causes other issues or is costly. Mickey Madsen, CEO of Nordic Power Converters, explains how his company has overcome the hurdles and made it feasible by designing very high frequency LED drivers. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Research News | CIE | Measurement | Calibration | Jul 12, 2017
CIE Research Strategy on Defining New Calibration Sources and Illuminants
CIE Research Strategy on Defining New Calibration Sources and Illuminants In photometry and radiometry, traceability of measurements requires appropriate calibration sources and transfer detectors. A major challenge is the technological revolution of lighting products towards LED lighting and the ban of incandescent lamps. This raises concern about the availability of incandescent photometric standard lamps in the future while the prices of such standard lamps are already increasing. In addition, calibration conditions should ideally be chosen to be as close as possible to the measurement conditions. Furthermore, the number of LED lighting measurements in laboratories and in the field has significantly increased, while the calibration of photometers is still done using incandescentbased standards. Therefore, it is important to investigate the pros and cons of replacement of conventional standard lamps with new solid-state technology. Peter Blattner and Tony Bergen, Division 2 Director and Secretary respectively, explain how CIE has defined the research topic “New Calibration Sources and Illuminants for Photometry, Colorimetry, and Radiometry” to address these concerns. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Tech-Talks Bregenz | Engineering | Technologies | Simulation Tools | Jul 12, 2017
Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Jamie Singerman, Future Lighting Solutions
Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Jamie Singerman, Future Lighting Solutions We recently sat down with Jamie Singerman, Worldwide Corporate Vice President, and Patrick Durand, Technical Director for Future Lighting Solutions, a leading provider of Solid-State Lighting technologies, engineering expertise and online simulation and design tools, to discuss the company’s differentiators and their views on the ever changing lighting market. Read more »
Technologies | Laser Technology | Jun 30, 2017
World’s Brightest Laser Sparks New Behavior in Light
World’s Brightest Laser Sparks New Behavior in Light Physicists from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are seeing an everyday phenomenon in a new light. y focusing laser light to a brightness 1 billion times greater than the surface of the sun — the brightest light ever produced on Earth — the physicists have observed changes in a vision-enabling interaction between light and matter. Read more »
Technologies | Manufacturing | LEDs | Jun 29, 2017
High Conductive Foils Enabling Large Area Lighting
High Conductive Foils Enabling Large Area Lighting Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP as one of the leading partners for research and development for surface technologies and organic electronics and Sefar AG, a leading manufacturer of precision fabrics from monofilaments, developed a roll-to-roll processed large area flexible OLED during a joint project. Read more »
Technologies | Simulation Tools | Jun 21, 2017
Future Lighting Solutions Launches the Usable Light Tool for UV and Horticulture Applications
Future Lighting Solutions Launches the Usable Light Tool for UV and Horticulture Applications Future Lighting Solutions, the world-class leader and innovator in demand creation, marketing and distribution of solid-state lighting technologies, announces the inclusion of non-visible LEDs and horticultural LEDs to its Usable Light Tool (ULT). Available free of charge to engineers worldwide, the ULT enables lighting designers to simulate usable light from LEDs, allowing the user to make critical LED selection decisions. Read more »
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