European project LASSIE-FP7 explores innovative intelligent lighting solutions

 

LASSIE-FP7 (Large Area Solid State Intelligent Efficient Luminaires), a European project, is pushing back the boundaries in the lighting industry. The module developed by the consortium led by CSEM, a Swiss micro- and nanotechnology research institute, is reported to strengthen the range of tools available to the European lighting industry and offers an innovative solution providing exceptional light quality and colour rendering that stands the test of time. Furthermore, the developments made in the project promise to address some of the most important challenges of “Lighting 3.0”, while paving the way for the emergence of “Lighting 4.0”.

When shopping, the visual appearance of goods is an enormous driver for many customers in several market segments, from food to clothes to luxury goods. The color rendering of the illumination systems employed therefore plays an important role in customers’ decisions. However, specific and commercially viable lighting solutions are still lacking, particularly ones that are able to provide intelligent and efficient illumination of a high quality and with colour accuracy. This technological gap has been addressed with an innovative approach by LASSIE-FP7, which developed a thin and efficient large-area module with high colour rendering and accuracy, and with constant performance over the luminaire’s lifetime.

The technology developed is said to be the ideal solution with which to create artificially lit “colour-proof islands”, where customers will be able to experience similar colour renderings to that delivered by natural light. Such an application is just one example of the new opportunities created thanks to the technological developments made by the consortium, as the LASSIE-FP7 module may also target new markets and application areas. Furthermore, the technological building blocks developed by the partners successfully address certain of the ongoing challenges that still prevent the full exploitation of the unique characteristics of LED lighting in large area modules.

“Following the revolutionary introduction of LEDs, the lighting industry is once more going through a period of profound change, this time driven by the development of innovative, digitised smart lighting solutions (“Lighting 3.0”) and by the explosion of the Internet of Things (“Lighting 4.0”). Consequently, the industry has to reinvent itself and look for new applications and business models,” explains Rolando Ferrini, the project’s coordinator at CSEM. “With its smart, environmentally friendly module, LASSIE-FP7 offers a unique solution that meets the requirements of human-centric lighting – the new wave that will influence the lighting industry in the years to come.”