Trends

Trends

Resources | LpR Article | Research | Sustainability | Environment | Jan 15, 2018
Repro-Light - Looking for a Sustainable and Modular Luminaire Architecture
Repro-Light - Looking for a Sustainable and Modular Luminaire Architecture The Repro-light project aims to re-conceptualize the European lighting industry towards more sustainability and competitiveness in terms of production and time to market. This will be achieved through the implementation of modular luminaire architecture and a smart production scheme, demonstrated by the development of a reconfigurable customized LED luminaire designed to improve the customers’ health. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Research | Optics | Engineering | Jan 15, 2018
Optimization of Freeform Optics Using T-Splines in LED Illumination Design
Optimization of Freeform Optics Using T-Splines in LED Illumination Design Freeform optics is the game changer in the illumination industry in terms of its ability to redirect the light into the target area. Non-Uniform Rational B-splines, commonly known as NURBS are widely used to represent freeform curves and surfaces. There are certain optical systems where local modification of the surface is necessary during the design or optimization phase. In such cases, NURBS cannot offer such transformations. But a new mathematical representation called T-splines make this feasible. Though its potentiality is well described, this has not been implemented in any optimization routine so far. Annie Shalom Isaac, Jiayi Long and Cornelius Neumann from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology demonstrate the advantage of the local refinement ability of T-splines by implementing it in the optimization routine and the results are evaluated. Results show that T-splines provide more uniform and homogenous light distribution as compared to NURBS at a faster convergence rate. This makes optical design or optimization using T-splines an intuitive approach for future freeform design tasks. Read more »
Resources | Tech-Talks Bregenz | Research | Light Generation | Jan 15, 2018
Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Julia Frohleiks, Researcher, University of Duisburg-Essen
Tech-Talks BREGENZ - Julia Frohleiks, Researcher, University of Duisburg-Essen In his commentary on technical progress and innovation, Dr. Sejkora said: “In the early stage, in the first phase of its life cycle, technology is mainly driven by fundamental research.” He went on to say that we can never predict how a technology will develop. Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen, working in the Nano Energy Technical Center (NETZ), worked on this type of fundamental technology and their submission received the LpS 2017 Scientific Award. Ms. Julia Frohleiks, a Ph.D. student, was a major contributor to this research in the group led by Dr. Ekaterina Nannen and accepted the award in Dr. Nannen’s name. In the following interview she gives some background information and discloses future research possibilities. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Commentary | Trends | Jan 15, 2018
Can You Show Me the Next S-Curve, Please?
Can You Show Me the Next S-Curve, Please? The evolution of technologies is often described using the “S-curve” model. In the early stage, in the first phase of its life cycle, technology is mainly driven by fundamental research. Only a few players are active at that time and innovation steps are quite large. In the second phase, early adopters start to develop products and bring them to market. This phase is characterized by huge investments. In the third phase, more and more players enter the technology field, competition becomes important and development speed of the technology decreases. In the last phase, the technology is mature, (nearly) everybody can use it, there are fewer margins and the technology should be replaced by a new one. Many of the SSL technologies have meanwhile reached maturity. Where are the upcoming technologies, what will be the next S-curve? Looking at technology discussions and lectures at LpS 2017 I tried to find answers to these questions. 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 | Thermal Management | Oct 31, 2017
Thermal Issues Posed by Compact Packaging and IoT for Next Generation SSL
Thermal Issues Posed by Compact Packaging and IoT for Next Generation SSL Besides general lighting, LEDs are penetrating many areas. At the same time, Internet of Things (IoT) has been rapidly evolving. Added electronics are expected to add an additional 70% to overall heat generation. Therefore, solving thermal problems will become more important again; on a par with footprint area and cost. Prof. Mehmet Arik, Director of EVATEG Center for Energy Efficient Electronics and Lighting Technologies at the Ozyegin University, and Umut Zeynep Uras, master student at the Ozyegin University, present some of the current, local, hotspot thermal issues caused by tight packaging. The severity of the problem for future lighting systems with added IoT will also be discussed. Finally, possible technologies to meet those challenges will be shown. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Research | Light Generation | Oct 31, 2017
Hybrid Quantum Dot Light Emitting Electrochemical Cells
Hybrid Quantum Dot Light Emitting Electrochemical Cells Several new light generation technologies that are overshadowed by LEDs and OLEDs are investigated. Most of these technologies are in a very early stage of research. One such technology, the LEC technology, was presented at LpS 2017. Light emitting electrochemical cells can be compared to OLEDs, but they are based on a much simpler inorganic architecture. The innovation in the presented approach lies in the combination with quantum dots, resulting in a hybrid solution. This novel attempt with all its consequences and future prospects was the reason that the LpS Scientific Award jury voted to bestow the award on Dr. Ekaterina Nannen, Group Leader of the Research Group „Solid State Lighting“ at the Nano-Energie-Technik- Zentrum (NETZ) of the University Duisburg-Essen and her research team, Julia Frohleiks and Svenja Wepfer. 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 | Interview | Trends | Horticulture | Sep 12, 2017
Trends in Horticulture Lighting
Trends in Horticulture Lighting Cree has been a leader in general lighting applications for over 20 years and has customers ranging from restaurant chains to global government agencies. Paul Scheidt began his career in Cree in 2005, working on the development of their lighting applications. During this time, he has seen an increase in the horticulture lighting application. LED professional spoke to Paul Scheidt about horticulture lighting and what he thinks is behind this recent trend. He also shares his views of what he thinks the future holds for both Cree and horticulture lighting applications. 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 | Medical | Sep 12, 2017
Challenges when Designing LED-Based Illumination Systems in Medical Applications and Diagnostics
Challenges when Designing LED-Based Illumination Systems in Medical Applications and Diagnostics LEDs have become indispensable in medical technology and dentistry. But the requirements placed on these lighting products are very high: Minimized size, high, application specific color rendering index, efficient temperature management, usability and excellent disinfection opportunities are all extremely important. Prof. Paola Belloni from the Steinbeis Transfer Center Illumination Optics and Lighting Engineering and Furtwangen University, and Alexander Gärtner from the Faculty of Mechanical and Medical Engineering of the Furtwangen University discuss the requirements for different applications such as endoscopy, surgeries, dental devices, and photodynamic therapy. Further topics are the development of a self-disinfecting operation interface with edge-lit UV-A LEDs, and a new optimization approach, taking into account the reflection and absorption properties of human tissues. Read more »
Resources | LpR Article | Research | Measurement | Lighting Simulation | Optics | Sep 12, 2017
Measurement of Angular and Spatial Resolved Spectral Rayfiles
Measurement of Angular and Spatial Resolved Spectral Rayfiles The enhanced complexity of modern lighting systems has increased the importance of realistic light source models during the optical design process of LED-based luminaires. I. Rotscholl, Research Associate, K. Trampert, C. Neumann, I. Leopoldo Sayanca from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, U. Krüger and F. Schmidt from the TechnoTeam Bildverarbeitung GmbH, propose a method to enhance the often used LED light source model “rayfile” towards a “spectral rayfile”. A spectral rayfile would be a model that associates each ray with its own spectrum and therefore describes varying spectra as a function of angular direction and spatial starting position. The PMBS (physical motivated basis spectra) method is based on the assumption that each LED spectrum consists of a weighted sum of individual basis spectra, for instance those of individual semiconductors and phosphors. There is no need for any special measurement equipment but a classic nearfield goniophotometer and some off-the-shelf optical filters. This method requires at least one spectral measurement and just a minimum of goniophotometric measurements with different optical filters. Finally, the authors demonstrate the potential of this method by applying the concept on a typical LED and compare the results to the often used Blue/Yellow approach in terms of accuracy and applicability. 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 »
EcoDesign Directive | Reports | Resources | Jul 24, 2017
Energy Requirements for Lighting Systems Lead to Enormous Energy Savings and Improved Quality of Light
Energy Requirements for Lighting Systems Lead to Enormous Energy Savings and Improved Quality of Light Based on results from the Ecodesign Preparatory Study on Lighting Systems (ENER Lot 37), the Directorate-General on Energy will possibly present in the upcoming months specific policy proposals that will very positively influence the lighting system design for buildings and roads. If implemented, the EU-28 total annual electricity saving potential of 48-56 TWh/year in 2050 will exceed the saving potential of the existing EcoDesign Directive 245/2009 on lighting products in the tertiary sector. 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 »
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