Light & Displays – Scenario 2020
Light Entertainment
Tomorrow's lighting will open entirely new worlds. In additon to today's light sources, new technologies will be available that will blur the distinctions between lighting, entertainment, and information. Welcome to a hotel in 2020 that has specialized in the best of everything.
Laura and Ray have just gotten married. For their honeymoon they've chosen a hotel that's the last word in high tech. Their room features luminescent walls capable of displaying everything from Internet TV and video telephony to programmable experiences. And naturally, the lighting adapts automatically to ambient conditions. There's even a holographic bouquet of flowers
Even in the blazing summer sunlight we could see it. The huge sign proclaiming in a cool blue "Honeymoon Hideaways" gave way to an image of water and palm trees and then morphed back into words. The low, circular hotel, which seemed to be surrounded by sand and sea as we drove along the island coast, looked exactly like the oasis we needed after the heat and hectic atmosphere of the wedding. "We've made it," I shouted triumphantly to Laura, who looked gorgeous in her long white gown. "Oh, Ray," she said as she got closer to me, "It looks even better than the brochure!"
After the car had parked itself and a smart trolley had followed us with our suitcases to the reception area, we were escorted by a tall bellman, who introduced himself as Riccardo, to an elevator.
When we reached our floor, lights embedded in the bluish carpeting signaled the direction to our room and soon we noticed the playful greeting "Welcome to Sweet 901" glowing on the floor ahead of us. The trolley with our suitcases had already arrived and had parked itself next to the bed. Heart-shaped lights glowed in the floor marking a path to a heart-shaped bed. Beyond the bed a picture window framed a view of the beach and sea. As we stepped into the room the lighting seemed to change so that the walls emanated a cool glow that mixed perfectly with the late afternoon sunlight.
"Oh, Ray," Laura murmured, "isn't this just the loveliest
"Ma'am, sir" Riccardo interrupted. "Excuse me, but I'd like to acquaint you with some of the unique features of this suite."
"Right," I said, already fishing for the bills in my pocket that would get Riccardo out the door. I expected the usual spiel about the mini bar being here and the TV being there. But before I could stop him, Riccardo had produced a sleek looking device and had slid the room's lovecard into it. As he did so, the wall next to the window seemed to disappear. Looking forward to being alone with my new bride though I was, I remembered that in addition to the hotel's location, the factor that had gotten me to decide on this particular place was its "Light Experience" advertising. As the manager of a lighting products sales team, I was naturally curious
"Ma'am, sir" Riccardo repeated, "This room is equipped with entire walls of luminescent plastic – the same material most TV screens are made of. And this here is your personalized remote control assistant. It will provide whatever entertainment, atmosphere, or environment you desire. You have your choice of Internet TV, video phone, movies, adult fantasies, sound and light, or – our most popular new service – experiences. Just a word of caution, though; they're very realistic."
"I'll try the experiences," Laura said giving me a wink. A menu appeared on what had been the wall. There were items such as "Beach Paradise," "Mountain Wilderness," "Ice Dream," "Soaring Skies," and "Personal Planet
"I'll take that Mountain Wilderness," said Laura as she squeezed my hand. "It's been such a hot day."
A scene of rugged mountains, forests and roaring brooks appeared. Squirrels darted up trees. Deer and rabbits wandered through the scene, all accompanied by the sounds of wind and rushing water. The first menu became an icon and was replaced by a new menu showing categories such as "Season," "Time," and "Weather."
"Once you've chosen your category of experience," Riccardo continued, "you can tailor the scene..."
"We'd like a cozy evening," said Laura. Getting the message, Riccardo made a few adjustments and soon the grass had been replaced by snow, and the water and sky had an icy, late winter feel. "Looks great," I said, getting up from the bed and handing Riccardo a hefty tip. The big bellman placed the RC device in my hand. "You can use the assistant to order all our services," he added. "Oh, and sir, the illumination is optimized to balance the light from outside or from the display. But if you want to personalize it, just play with the assistant."
"Thanks," I said, as he left. Suddenly a blood-curdling growling came from behind me, and Laura screamed. A mountain lion had edged into the scene and had attacked one of the deer. Horrible bellows of pain came from the attacked animal as it fell.
"Turn it off!" Laura begged as the grisly images and sounds ticked by.
I snapped the lovecard out of the device and the scene was instantly replaced by a gentle blue glow. The room lighting returned to normal and the window, with its view of sea and sand, brightened
"Oh, Ray," said Laura with relief. "Maybe we'd be better off creating our own experience."
Arthur F. Pease
Licht & Displays Highlights
The Wavelength of Change
Tomorrow's light sources will not only be intelligently networked – they'll also be more efficient and environmentally friendly more
Bright Future
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are finding their way into more and more applications. By 2015, they could be powerful and cheap enough to use as normal room light sources more
Brilliant Synthetics
Displays made of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) produce their own light, are efficient, rich in contrast, flat and ideal for video imaging more
New Paradigm
Leds and OLEDs could revolutionize lighting and display technologies. The President of the Optoelectronics Industry Association comments more
The Architecture of Light
By automatically adapting artificial light to natural light, scientists expect to improve workplace productivity more