MIT Technology Review: The next big thing in lighting could be glowing sheets that use half as much energy as an equivalent fluorescent fixture and can be laminated to walls or ceilings. The sheets will contain organic LEDs, or OLEDs—the same kind of technology used in some ultrathin TVs and smartphones.
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I think that OLED technology can be very popular and be more efficient if it becomes cheaper. OLEDs are better than conventional lights because they do not give off nearly as much heat. Getting a sheet of OLEDs would be a lot easier than getting a lot of LED lights or conventional lights to light a room. If manufacturers figure out a way to use less materials and cheaper materials, OLEDs could be a lot cheaper and used more often. OLEDs can also look more realistic with more research. They can be very good lights to use in many different situations.
It will be really interesting to see if technology will advance as it needs to in order for OLEDs to become more popular. Stephen Forrest appears to think so, but there have been cases before where certain advancements became more or less obsolete due to better alternatives. It does seem like OLEDs are pretty flexible, and there is a lot of potential for them to be used in more applications than just for conventional lighting, which would definitely be cool to see. It would also be great if we were able to produce OLEDs more efficiently and on a larger scale and make some improvements in terms of energy use.
Sounds like it is still a ways off. If by 2017 its $600 it will still be nowhere close to widespread use. The idea is super cool, and it was an interesting point that the reason they are expensive is because they are used mostly in high res displays. That is probably the key to lower cost if they are being used only as a light source they could be a lot less careful in production and do not have to deal with being easily programmable. If their job is to function solely as a light bulb restricting production factors could likely diminish. I don't expect this to be readily available anytime before 2020 but I eagerly await the future.
I still question the huge push for new lightbulbs or lighting sources. While these fixtures are definitely very versatile, being used in TVs, cellphones, and other products, to push such an expensive product seems out of hand. Unless they can get the lights to cost less than $100 for a light, then I can't imagine it actually being sold in a wide scale manner since so many people would not be able to afford the initial price. Unless, of course, the government decides to put more laws and standards on which light bulbs or lights are allowed to be sold.
I didn’t actually think OLED technology had even gotten this far. Before it becomes a replacement for the typical fixtures we use in everyday life, I think we’ll see it take off in architectural lighting. Like the article on the Sistine Chapel, there are plenty of applications in the world for specialized temperature LEDs and lighting.
There’s very little long term study data available on the radiation that LED lighting emits. I know that we have lots of data on the EM Spectrum, but I’m really wondering if there’s some sort of radiation that LED lighting emits that will prove to be harmful in the future. I suppose only time will shed light on that situation (bad forced pun).
These new OLED lights are super efficient and I believe that they will be the next big thing in terms of lighting fixtures. OLEDs are currently unbelievably expensive and will do much better with sales if they lower the price. However, they need the sales in order for the price to go down. I believe that once these get out there, they will be extremely popular and useful and will have some amazing lighting effects. As a lighting designer, I look towards the newest equipment in order to surprise and entertain audiences. These OLEDs will be increasingly popular with the years to come.
I had never really heard of OLED technology before except maybe in passing. While this article explains the feasibility and future applications of the technology very well, it does not explain how it really works or how it could be controlled. However, the fact that you could make an entire surface glow is quite exciting and a big leap from the very pointillist LED walls and other surfaces we use today. Technology like this is very exciting but I'm sure it will be a long time before it replaces fluorescents.
Well that sounds awesome, but don't rush it. To often are there great ideas with some technology to support the ideas but then things fall through. I would love to walk into a room and have the whole ceiling be shinning down in a sheet of light, that would be such a cool effect. But if i see this within the next 5 years I will be skeptical as to if this is the best they can do. I'm saying that it won't be good if it comes out too soon because things are improving now faster then ever before, but to make a whole ceiling glow...that takes time. Also, it will be so expensive to purchase a huge sheet of these OLEDs that it really isn't worth it to anyone in my opinion.
I would absolutely love for this technology to evolve into a cheap and viable option for theatrical designers. Any additional option of materials, when used purposefully and with clear intent, can only help enhance the way theatrical productions tell stories. Now obviously this technology needs to be developed more for it to become anything we can use, but there is so much potential to use it to create worlds that haven't even been dreamed up yet. I hope to hear about this technology in 2017 when phillips releases the product, or at least talks about the product.
I think the idea of widely implementing OLEDs in the future sounds exciting, while they are way too expensive now maybe they'll serve as a paradigm shift just as LEDs and fluorescents have invaded the market and have made incandescents practically obsolete.
I think the genius in OLEDs lies in the premise that they give off less heat than normal LEDs and therefore would require less hardware. The fact that producers are also experimenting with utilizing them on small flexible plastic sheets similarly sounds promising.
Maybe OLEDs hold the key to make those ever smaller futuristic flexible displays that technology experts picture coming out next, or maybe they'll just exist as another paradigm shift leading us down an only longer path to greater advancements. Either way OLEDs sound like promising technology that I'm sure will be well implemented.
If they can make plastic sheeting with OLED's can they just make paint? Will lighting fixtures someday just be brushed on? We've seen the Tesla car with a digital media paintjob, which is great but maybe not all necessary or safe, but who wouldn't want to paint their whole ceiling with OLED paint and just put that sucker on a dimmer. I would love to have that in my wood shop. Mulch-directional light sourcing is very important for precise fabrication because otherwise your tools and hands and body create shadows over the line you're trying to cut or the finish you're trying to apply evenly. In this case, the lighting would essentially be omni-directional and create an ideal space for high quality work.
If the costs go down, I think this could be a really efficient and cost effective way to light indoor spaces using new technology. Unfortunately right now I think it might be too expensive to do at once, but perhaps over time, with gradual installation through large areas, this could be something that eventually takes over. I think some of the really effective ideas about OLEDs is that they require less energy, obviously, but also that they produce much less heat than traditional LEDs which effects a range of different things that help make them far superior.
The technology is definitely a ways off, but I do remember hearing about OLDE when it first came out was being used in TVs, Monitors, portable electronics, etc... It doesn't surprise me that someone had the idea to just use the same "screens" as lights. It makes sense that the cost is currently high, but once the manufacturing process is reengineered, I can see a dramatic cost drop. At the very least, they could be like lower quality displays to use for "projecting" at weird angles on sets. I'd love to see OLED sheet lighting in use in home, that'd be really cool.
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