future of led Archives

3D-Printed LED LightPaper Places Lighting on Almost Any Surface

A Paper-Thin LED Light

Rohinni has invented an LED light product aptly named LightPaper. It is paper-thin and can be used to print a light-up version of, well, just about anything. LightPaper is made with a mixture of ink and extremely small LEDs applied to a conductive surface and then sealed between two other thin layers. Heard of the new Oreo Thins? Well, think thinner. Within LightPaper, there are thousands of tiny diodes; each one is nearly the size of a human red blood cell and lights up when a current is run through them.

3D-Printed Light Could Change Everything

A paper-thin LED surface like LightPaper has many unique qualities. First off, it needs no batteries. Secondly, it can be made into any shape desired by designers—much like regular paper, we can mold it into whatever we want. Another couple of LightPaper perks is that it is considered eco-friendly and that it will [probably] be cheap to manufacture. I have to admit, this whole thing is pretty darn cool—I mean, imagine what we could do with 3D light-paper printers at home! (Maybe we could build the coolest collection of paper airplanes ever, that’s what.)

But I digress. Paper-thin lighting could someday replace (or enhance) fine art, television screens, window tinting, and logos on mobile devices. It may even eliminate lighting fixtures, lamps, and light bulbs—we could simply lay strips of LED paper above our couches or on our ceilings to light up our rooms. LightPaper could change how we read, and write, and advertise, and take pictures, and decorate, and customize cars, and . . . okay, okay, I’ll stop here, but the point is, the potential here is tremendous.

Using LightPaper Technology

Some speculate that 3D-printed light paper could be available to consumers by the end of 2015. Rohinni has said they plan to corner the commercial and industrial markets before moving elsewhere. Given LED paper’s super-lightweight quality, I would anticipate first seeing the technology applied to TVs, mobile devices, and printed media before anything else.

According to one marketing executive at Rohinni, “Anywhere there is a light, this could replace that.” He followed up with: “Everything the light light touches is our kingdom.” (Okay, that one was from The Lion King, but it’s still pretty applicable).

If they can pull this off, Rohinni and LED paper can really change the lighting industry. As technology improves, companies like Rohinni will hopefully find ways to get their paper into homes, supermarkets, and—as they mentioned—anywhere there is light.

Would you use LightPaper in your home? Where would you put it? Share some ideas with me below (I might throw a few your way, too)!

On the Catwalk: LED Technology and High Fashion

Fedoras. Meat dresses. Handlebar mustaches. Full-body sweaters. Whatever these are.

The world of fashion has been known to make some wild (see: questionable) decisions, and I won’t pretend to be able to keep up with every new trend that hits the runway. However, there is one brilliant fashion choice that has grabbed my attention: LEDs.

Believe it or not, there is actually remarkable work being done out there to make light-emitting diodes wearable. Rapid technological reforms and the continued miniaturization of LED lighting have allowed LEDs to be embedded directly into fabrics to create myriad new possibilities.

Already, there are markets for dresses with hundreds of ingrained, color-changing LED lights and for those with waves of LEDs that create moving patterns along the fabric. This impressive LED catsuit already exists. The cool, low-voltage, and subtle luminosity of LEDs can make an article of clothing stand out, yet allow its wearer to maintain some kind of social decorum.

Making a Statement, Literally, with LED Clothing

There are already shirts, dresses, jackets, etc., that can be connected to smartphones to display text and messages from social media. At sporting events, concerts, trade shows, and other events where people need to share messages (“I <3 Dr. Bulb,” for example), LEDs can now transform anyone and everyone into a walking message board.

Imagine a model casually walking through a convention center with an LED blouse directing potential customers to a particular booth, or another who can display the products a company has to offer. Apparently, LED-lit mouthguards have even made their way into overseas marketing campaigns. With a little creativity, wearable LED technology can be both eye-catching and informative, if not perfect for spreading good vibes at your favorite music festival.

LED Illumination with Purpose

The future of LED clothing is limited only by the imagination of its designers and users. There are already articles of clothing that change color with the touch of a sensor and others that can get lighter or darker based on how warm it is outside. This is just one way LEDs cleverly merge function with fashion.

In the near future, a runner may be able to don a jogging suit that displays his or her heart rate, hydration rate, blood pressure, etc., on their sleeves. In hospitals, patients could wear sensored clothing that would not only show their vital information, but also alert doctors of an emergency if those vitals start to decline.

Big Names in LED Fashion

The LED clothing barrier has already been breached by celebrities such as Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. Tay-Tay (that’s what the kids call her, right?) has in the past adorned herself, her backup dancers, and even the props in their hands with hundreds of LED lights. As the technology becomes more affordable and versatile, we can expect illuminated clothing to be adopted by other celebrities and, maybe, the rest of us, too.

What Do You Think? Would you wear LED clothing? Besides hospitals and athletes, can you think of any other applications for LED clothing? Throw me a few ideas in the comments below!