David Shiller

  Nichia reports that a joint study with the Tokushima Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Technology Support Center found Nichia’s HPS color LED at 1800K (amber) had the lowest insect attraction among the tested light sources. The company says the result came from both laboratory and outdoor evaluations comparing LEDs with different correlated color temperatures (CCTs). [...]

  Stanford researchers are designing domestic robots to help older adults age in place with more safety, mobility, and independence. These robots are support tools rather than replacements for human caregivers. The robots could reduce the strain on families and care systems as the U.S. population grows older. The article highlights several use cases: helping [...]

  A recent New York Magazine article describes a noticeable shift in New York City apartments toward orange, amber, and red-tinted lighting, driven by a mix of aesthetics, mood, and the flexibility of smart LED lamps. The trend is more than a passing design quirk: residents, designers, and lighting consultants are intentionally choosing ultra-warm light [...]

  The FCC has voted unanimously proposing to bar Chinese and Hong Kong testing labs from certifying electronics for sale in the U.S., expanding an earlier restriction aimed at labs tied to the Chinese government and other national-security risks. The move is meant to reduce the chance that insecure or compromised devices enter the U.S. [...]

  Another interesting find at LEDucation, last month, was Tivoli’s VAST EX Grazer, a high‑output exterior linear system with articulated beam control. The newly launched outdoor solution delivers precision aiming, design flexibility, and durability for demanding architectural applications. VAST EX Grazer is designed for façade grazing, wall washing, and large-scale exterior illumination, and is available [...]

  The American Lighting Association is holding its annual ALA Conference, September 27–29 in Tucson, AZ. The conference will be held at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. Three national keynote speakers will discuss: Where the economy is heading What AI really mean for your business How to create customer experience that leaves an [...]

  Another innovative find at LEDucation, earlier this month, was Genlyte Solutions’ new Lumec Ancestra Color Changing Post Top luminaire. The product incorporates Color Kinetics sources to provide a splash of changeable color to streetscapes, campuses, and other post top applications. Adding color changing capabilities to Lumec post tops creates a visually distinctive and inviting [...]

  The IES has approved five revised or reaffirmed lighting standards: ANSI/IES RP-27-26 Recommended Practice: Photobiological Safety for Lighting Systems Updates include new definition (angular subtense), removal of propagation of uncertainty for wavelength accuracy, improvements to measurement metrics, updates to the relative spectral weighting function for Assessing Actinic Radiation Hazard, and new equations for retinal blue [...]

  Another interesting trend at LEDucation was the growing sophistication of RGBTW light sources. These are color changing, tunable white, and everything in-between! 5-channel RGB-WW-CW has been around for a while, but American Lighting just introduced its Trulux 6-channel, RGBWWW tape light. It is a DMX-controlled tape light combining RGB color mixing with wide range [...]