LEDs have come a very long way over the last 50 years. Acceptance was on the slow side in the beginning, but their versatility, efficiency, and durability, not to mention dropping price tags, have made LEDs useful across the board – literally. It’s their unique characteristics that make LEDs suitable for use in places no lights have gone before (wallpaper, anyone?). And to illustrate just how versatile these amazing little lights can be, we rounded up some of the most surprising applications for LED lighting technology.
Replacing Aging Technology
There’s no question that LEDs are the light of the modern era. They stand apart from incandescent, fluorescents and HID lights for so many reasons. LEDs are super compact, and they use significantly less energy. They’re available in a variety of colors, including white, amber, red, green, and blue and all the colors of the rainbow. They are better for the environment because they don’t contain mercury and other harmful metals and chemicals. LEDs don’t emit heat, and their flexible, plastic design means they can be used in all kinds of weird, wonderful ways.
A few standout examples:
• A soft contact lens with an integrated LED microchip – The Belgian prototype could be the beginning of contact lenses with integrated sensors and drug-delivery systems intended to treat eye diseases and injuries.
• Auto sunroofs – Tesla applied for a patent for a sunroof that includes integrated LED lighting and electrical tinting to control natural light and generate preferred lighting.
• Skylights – Designed to fit into standard ceiling grids, these LED skylights mimic actual skylights in windowless spaces.
• LED wallpaper and window coverings – Seamlessly integrated LEDs make the most of your feature wall, offering soft mood lighting or serving as a spatial marker when the ceilings lights are off. The same technology offers a sparkling pattern on window coverings.
• LED for the cool factor – LEDs function in so many places that one would never expect, from backlighting for a TV, an additional brake light behind the spare tire, and even behind the wheels of a trucked. Really, the only limit is your imagination. If you’ve seen LEDs somewhere cool, we’d love to see it! Share your unusual LED applications with us at info@../.
At Home and At Work
Of course, LEDs are also an exceptional choice for standard lighting needs in the home and at work, from task lighting to hard-to-reach lights in high ceilings or outdoors. But there are creative applications here as well. LEDs installed beneath semi-transparent stone sinks make them appear to glow from within. In pools and other water features, programmable LEDs create an ever-changing aesthetic. Home, patio furniture, and office essentials like whiteboards all enjoy distinction with the addition of LEDs.
If you have a lighting project, contact Have Lights Will Travel today, and let’s discuss how LEDs are the best way to make it happen.