Smart lighting - Beyond simple illumination

Very efficient white LED bulbs are rapidly entering the market to replace inefficient incandescent bulbs. While challenges of cost, performance and thermal design are limiting the rate of adoption, LED bulbs are poised to become a large part of the lighting market in the near future. These LED replacement bulbs will be the first wave of solid-state lighting, where combinations of blue LED chips and phosphors generate acceptable white light efficiently, but leave the full electronic potential of LEDs largely untapped. The combination of digitally controlled full gamut light sources, high performance light sensors and new control and communications methods will create what could be called the second wave of solid state lighting, or Smart Lighting. Smart Lighting systems are comprised of illumination technologies that fully utilize the spectral and temporal capabilities of LEDs to provide light, automatically adapt color and intensity to changing illumination requirements, and provide enhanced services beyond simple illumination. Smart Lighting systems will include the ability to measure and control the intensity, color, polarization, and modulation of light to enable this new lighting functionality, including advanced biosensing, highly efficient “illumination grade” displays, therapeutic lighting, visible light communications, and self commissioning illumination systems.