One of the most triumphant moments in the book and recent movie The Martian comes when lead character, Mark Watney, successfully grows a potato crop on Mars. It’s more than food for survival; he’s also nourishing his spirit.  In space, there is no scent of baking bread, no wind on your face, no sound of raindrops hitting the roof, no favorite kitten to curl up in your lap. Over time, being deprived of these common earthbound sense stimulations takes a toll. Having limited access to stimuli to the senses is identified as a significant risk by NASA’sBehavioral Health and Performance team.

In an effort to study the effects of lighting on human health and diseases, the Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center (ERC) atRensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), recently installed a novel hospital inpatient lighting testbed for the study of automated lighting at theUniversity of New Mexico Health Center (UNMHC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The testbed is a demonstration of the success of the multi-institutional, interdisciplinary Engineering Research Center Program funded by the National Science Foundation.  

Olaf Berlien, CEO of OSRAM Licht AG, and Grant Wright, CEO and CFO of OSRAM Americas, unveiled the new OSRAM Americas headquarters at a ribbon cutting ceremony recently in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Originally established in 1871, First Baptist Orlando has grown into a congregation of over 16,000 members who worship in a sanctuary with approximately 5,500 seats. When the church recently underwent a renovation, lighting designer Anthony Rush was asked to identify the ideal lighting fixtures that could offer the weekly worship services and annual special productions alike the most versatile lighting rig possible. Working with the Orlando office of Stage Equipment and Lighting (SEAL), Rush looked at a number of fixtures which might have the functionality, dependability and versatility needed, and in the end, he decided upon VL4000 Spot and VL4000 BeamWash luminaires from Philips Vari-Lite.

Shortly after Epistar held its board meeting on Monday, numerous reports from Taiwanese media claimed the company was about to be merged. MLS, Philips and even Lumileds were named by speculators as potential buyers, following the reports Epistar’s shares climbed up to NT $29.5 (US $0.88) per share, reported TechNews. However, Epistar Spokesman Rider Chang has denied all these claims.

Taiwanese LED manufacturer Genesis Photonics Inc. (GPI) has been developing flip chip LEDs for a long time, since 2015 the company released its flip chip integrated high power light source solution last year at Taipei AMPA 2015, which received positive feedback from the industry. In 2016, the company launched an innovative CSP components at LIGHTING JAPAN 2016 that are thinner with higher lumen per watt, enabling ultra- high efficacy of (>200 lm/W), aiming for supplying portable electronics backlights and automotive light source market (TS16949 certified) that requires high reliability.

A sharp eyed Twitter user has spotted a code implying Li-Fi functions might be incorporated in later generation Apple iOS, reportedTechRadar and other media.

The Indian government has rolled out numerous large scaled LED bulb distribution projections across the nation, but not all Indian consumers are warming up to the low-priced bulbs, according to a report from The Deccan Herald.

The collaboration, which is partly funded by Innovate UK under the £14m Energy Catalyst Programme, follows on from work by Anvil Semiconductors and the Cambridge Centre for GaN at the University of Cambridge where they successfully grew cubic GaN on 3C-SiC on silicon wafers by MOCVD. The underlying 3C-SiC layers were produced by Anvil using its patented stress relief IP that enables growth of device quality silicon carbide on 100mm diameter silicon wafers.  

A representative from Samsung Electric has recently rebutted Korean media Edaily report recent claims it has rolled out unpaid vacation schemes for employees working in its LED business department.

The products in the Kreios range have long been popular for creative lighting solutions in the entertainment and architecture sectors. Two new highly versatile high-power LED spotlights, the Fresnel and the Profile, have now been added to the range, ideal for theater, concert and event lighting.

Evluma announces the release of a Type III AreaMax, adding to the technologically innovative and award-winning AreaMax product line of outdoor LED luminaires for street and area lighting. The 70W LED Type III luminaire is recommended to replace 100-200W HID pole-mounted lights. Launching at TechAdvantge Conference and Expo in New Orleans, Feb 15-17, the Type III AreaMax is currently undergoing field trials with a release date of March 2016.

WACKER, the Munich-based chemical company, has developed new encapsulants for light emitting diodes (LED) and optical components. The compounds are made of highly transparent silicone elastomers with a high refractive index. The products withstand high operating temperatures and strong light radiation without yellowing. That makes them ideal for manufacturing LEDs with high light efficiency. They also protect the LED chip against corrosive gases, which greatly extends the component’s service life. The silicone encapsulation compounds can be processed in industrial metering processes such as dispensing.

Magneti Marelli has entered 2016 by displaying its advanced technologies and products at two important American events for the automotive sector: the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas and the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) in Detroit. At the CES, two of the main themes for the automotive sector were connectivity and displays. Magneti Marelli reflected these themes at the off-site demo event staged in Las Vegas and also exhibited advanced technologies for lighting, infotainment, telematics and powertrain.

OL-747 panel light series for office lighting, and BL-360, BL-370, BL-380 series for batten or troffer lighting. Luminaire System Efficiency≧140 lm/W 60% energy saving more than T5 or T8 luminaire >91.5% efficiency of LED driver with more than 40,000 hours product life design. Low glare and no flicker 5 years or 20,000 hours product warranty ( include： Luminaire / driver / LED chips)

The LED professional Symposium +Expo (LpS) is the leading annual international conference that addresses solid-state lighting technologies and its applications. In 2016 it will take place from September 20th to 22nd in Bregenz, Austria. Experts from the fields of industry and academia are invited to submit an abstract to present their latest developments and expectations for future lighting trends and innovations to a highly qualified audience. The deadline for submissions is February 19th, 2016.

Puducherry, a Union Territory of India, has launched its second phase LED bulb distribution project, The Hindu reported Puducherry Electricity Minister T. Thiagarajan saying recently.

Sigma Designs® (NASDAQ: SIGM), a leading provider of intelligent system-on-chip (SoC) solutions focused on Internet of Things ( IoT) , Smart TV and media connectivity  markets , and QD Vision, the global leader in quantum dot display technology, announced a strategic partnership to develop a cost-effective UHD TV platform with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Rec. 2020 performance. The platform will be based on Sigma’s TV SoC and frame rate conversion (FRC) chips, and QD Vision’s Color IQ™ quantum dot (QD) technology.

Normally home to advertising for the world's biggest brands, for the first time one of the screens of this iconic landmark will feature digital art. A trio of works, all by Miguel Chevalier express the fluid possibilities of art in the 21st-century. Like a giant kaleidoscope, Complex Meshes 2016, Original of the World 2016 and Pixels Wave 2016 brings a world of colours and shapes in motion, and takes us on an imaginary journey of optical illusion and play.

A town in Massachusetts, U.S. has decided to put its LED streetlight upgrade on hold, even though it had received funding from Department of Energy Resources in conjunction with the town’s new status as a Green Community, reported The Patriot Ledger.

When Henley Business School celebrated its 70th birthday, event organiser Nikki Cooper wanted some touches of magic for the occasion, so after deciding with colleagues that special lighting could be the answer, they contacted alumnae Phil Ion, MD of UK-based LED manufacturer CORE Lighting … and asked if he could help.

ProPhotonix Limited, a high technology designer and manufacturer of LED illumination systems and laser diode modules, today announces an extension to its range of green laser diodes with the launch of the PLT5 510 from Osram.

Himax Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: HIMX) (“Himax” or “Company”), a leading supplier and fabless manufacturer of display drivers and other semiconductor products, today announced its Wafer Level Optics (“WLO”) laser diode collimator with integrated Diffractive Optical Element (“DOE”) has been integrated into laser projectors for next-generation applications. Himax has significantly reduced the size of laser projectors, enabling the integration of technologies, such as active 3D scanners, into mobile devices, automobiles, augmented and virtual reality devices, and IoT applications.  

Osram, one of the world's leading lighting manufacturers, continues to make progress with the carve-out of its general lighting lamps business. After the supervisory board of OSRAM Licht AG approved the carve-out of the unit in June 2015, the name of the new company has now also been decided. “We have opted for a combination of the terms ‘LED’ and ‘advance’ and will call the newly established company LEDVANCE,” said Olaf Berlien, Chief Executive Officer of OSRAM Licht AG. “The name reflects the trend toward LED in the lighting market as well as the opportunities arising from this development – opportunities LEDVANCE will actively exploit.”

A MIT research has caught on like wild-fire in the industry this week, since it holds the potential of reviving the nearly phased-out incandescent bulbs. The research claims that by using nano optic crystal structures, they were able to raise incandescent luminous efficiency to 6% and holds the potential of reaching 40% rivaling LEDs. However, there was a slight glitch in the press release. The cited luminous efficiency data was a bit outdated, most likely traced to 2013 results. Thanks to a reader from Epistar, who pointed us into the right direction

Reed Japan, the organizer of Nepcon Japan 2016 and Lighting Japan 2016, has made revolutionary changes in its exhibition plan and introduced more advanced technologies and manufacturers to broaden the industry’s horizon. Lighting Japan 2016 held at Tokyo Big Sight from January 13-15 this year showcased advanced smart lighting technologies and international lighting components. In an exclusive interview with LEDinside, Reed Japan Show Director Yuhi Maenozo and the company’s Media Organizer Yuki Omichi, shared some of their valuable insights.

Current LED chip and lamp prices have plummeted because there are too many similar competitors on the market, said Geet van der Meer, Head of Osram's LED Lamps and Systems business unit recently at a Lighting Japan 2016 forum. To cope with the challenging environment, companies are focusing on product quality, design, digitalization and intelligent devices to pave an alternative road map for LED lighting.

Hull City, a city in the East Riding of Yorkshire, will start to replace its 32,000 conventional streetlights with LEDs, expected to save more than GBP 1 million (US $1.44 million) per year.

St. Mary- Corwin Medical Center is a Pueblo- based medical organization in Colorado, U.S., which switched from conventional lightings to LED ones in November 2015.

A Toronto- based design team launched an Indiegogo campaign, pledging US $50,000 for their intriguing portable lamp.