Lighting in the News | February 2017
Exciting news, everyone! From performing drones to parks that practically think for themselves, the start of this year has been filled with smart LED technology. So buckle up and check out what’s happening this month in lighting.
Performance Drones
If you’re a football fan or just like the funny commercials you probably watched this year’s Super Bowl. During its halftime show, you may have noticed the armada of drones dancing in the sky. Those flying lights are Intel’s Shooting Star drones. These recently developed drones were designed with performances in mind, featuring LED lights that can create over 4 billion color combinations. They can be programmed for any kind of formation or animation in the sky over large events, including brand logos. “The potential for these light show drones is endless and we hope this experience inspires other creatives, artists and innovators to really think about how they can incorporate drone technology in new ways,’ said Josh Walden, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New Technology Group at Intel.
Tunable White Light
Railroad Park near St. Paul, Minnesota is using smart LED technology to make White Bear Lake safer at night while minimizing disruption to patrons and the ecosystem. The adaptive system not only senses foot traffic to stay bright during events and busy hours, but dim down at night to not disturb the wildlife. The tunable white light ranges from 2700-5000 Kelvin and is being used to “elevate the level of public safety and quality of life across our entire community,” said Mark Burch, the White Bear Lake public works director.
The system can even be updated to respond to emergencies. The chairman and CEO of Echelon, Ron Sege said, “Imagine the improved public safety if all of the streetlights in an area were immediately whiter and brighter when a 911 call was responded to, but otherwise dimmer and more yellow at night for restful sleep.” Mr. Sege doesn’t believe in sacrificing safety for comfort or vice versa and believes smart LED technology is the way to go to improve quality of life. You go, Ron.
Smart Park in Denver
Imagine street lighting that does more than light the street. It may not be as crazy as it sounds. Denver’s Peña Station NEXT project has paired with Panasonic and Silver Spring Networks to create a lighting system that provides community Wi-Fi and reports on environmental factors such as air quality, temperature, and light intensity. These lighting infrastructures will also include video cameras to monitor public safety and count cars to help with the flow of traffic. The city of Denver hopes these smart LED lights will save them money by cutting energy, operation, and management costs. The station will also feature a 12-person driverless shuttle to cart people off to the train station.
What recent LED technology has you excited? Tell us about it in the comments section below, and don’t forget to follow us at Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Pinterest for more lighting news and everyday lighting solutions.
http://www.designboom.com/technology/intel-drones-super-bowl-halftime-light-show-02-06-2017/
