Bright Ideas: New Applications of UHP Technology for Philips
The following ideas come from a three-week investigation by the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design into new uses for Philips UHP technology. These UHP (ultra-high performance) lamps are currently used for digital projection, in projectors, televisions and vidiwalls. They last many years, produce a light brighter than the sun, and are highly collimated. These and other properties were exploited to discover innovative new uses and application areas.
The team spent the first week experimenting and creating a multitude of ideas from a variety of applications. In part, these were based on a translation of the technical properties of the UHP lamps into inspirations or themes for design (e.g. “creative contrast” and “heat and light”). The second week began with the selection of the most promising ideas. The team then developed these concepts through photos, video, research and quick trials. The third week was spent documenting these concepts in a booklet, DVD, and digital presentation.
If you would like to see more ideas from this project or require further information on how to work with CIID please contact us on info@ciid.dk
Video: Experimentation and Design Process »
Food-Warming Light
Not only are UHP lamps extremely bright, but their ample radiation provides abundant directional heat. This offers the potential to control and use this heat in ways not possible with the diffuse heat of other lighting sources. In particular, the combination of heat and light creates opportunities for dual use products that make efficient use of much of the lamp’s output.
A single UHP bulb can light the table and warm the food, whatever the occasion – tea for one or dinner for twelve. The visible light diffuses off the ceiling while the IR radiation is focused downward at the food. Why have cold food when you could have UHP?
Sun Window
People love natural light – sunlight streaming through the window, shadows on the floor, warmth on one’s face – but it’s elusive. We spend our days at work; in winter or rainy places it’s likely gloomy by the time we get home. What if we could turn up the sun, brightening an overcast day or providing a few extra hours of sunlight? UHP shines as bright as the sun and with a similar light. Embedded in a window, it could combine with the available light to turn a cloudy day sunny or to change twilight to daylight. Because it comes from a window, the brightness and sun-like colour of the light match our expectations and desires.
Crossing On-Demand
UHP lamps could be used to create road-markings – like pedestrian crossings – on-demand. Put too many crossings on a busy street and traffic crawls, too few, and people must walk far to cross. With UHP street lamps and a simple sensor system, the crossing could count the number of incoming people and cars, and light or remove the crossing accordingly, balancing the needs of both groups. Or, the crossing could be present only for the periods of the day when it’s most needed.
The project team: Dana Gordon, Oren Horev, Jean-Baptiste Labrune, Heather Martin, Simona Maschi, David A. Mellis, Alie Rose, Haraldur Unnarsson & Vinay Venkatraman.