ABSTRACT
LED lights 10 THERE’S A NEW KID IN TOWN Everyone is familiar with LEDs-those tiny colored indicator lights that flickered on your stereo
back when you were a teenager. They seem more like electronic components than lamps, and that’s
exactly what they are: solid-state semiconductors called light-emitting diodes. In recent years, LED technology has evolved beyond all recognition. In the 1990s, the first effi-
cient blue LEDs were developed, paving the way for RGB and white phosphor LEDs. Subsequent
advances in brightness, optics, heat management, and electronic control finally made these tiny light
sources viable as small illumination devices. The potential of the technology for a myriad of appli-
cations motivated huge investment in research and development of LEDs by major manufacturers
such as Philips and Osram. A frenzy of commerce has followed. The companies have developed
turn-key systems for fixture designers, and an ever-growing number of companies are designing
an eclectic range of LED lighting fixtures for the motion picture/TV market, as well as theatrical
and architectural applications.
