Glowing walls could kill off the light bulb

[Ichingcarpenter]

Not my headline but I think its interesting



Light-emitting wallpaper may begin to replace light bulbs from 2012, according to a government body that supports low-carbon technology.

A chemical coating on the walls will illuminate all parts of the room with an even glow, which mimics sunlight and avoids the shadows and glare of conventional bulbs

Although an electrical current will be used to stimulate the chemicals to produce light, the voltage will be very low and the walls will be safe to touch. Dimmer switches will control brightness, as with traditional lighting.

The Carbon Trust has awarded a £454,000 grant to Lomox, a Welsh company that is developing the organic light-emitting diode technology. The trust said it would be two and a half times more efficient than energysaving bulbs and could make a big contribution to meeting Britain’s target of cutting carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020. Indoor lighting accounts for a sixth of total electricity use.


The chemical coating, which can be applied in the form of specially treated wallpaper or simply painted straight on to walls, can also be used for flat-screen televisions, computers and mobile phone displays.

As the system uses only between three and five volts, it can be powered by solar panels or batteries. Lomox, which will use the grant to prove the durability of the technology, believes it could be used in the first instance to illuminate road signs or barriers where there is no mains electricity.

SNIP........

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article6970927.ece


I do wonder about any environmental health impacts of this technology

[Dover]

1. Wow...and available so soon! I wonder what the chemicals are?

Some form or derivative of phosphorus? Chemiluminescence?

[Botany]

2. Chemiluminescence

http://byfiles.storage.live.com/y1pZOEGtUAp1ALvBjHcoKsyY6263BMM9GnKXVqSc8GRR-e2ZFefRIAYZnz4ZwAW-b-8

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Panasonic is working on the same thing.

Imagine your windows giving you light at night




Or picking your wallpaper design


And working the svelt angle, Panasonic Electric Works Co Ltd displayed the thinnest panel at the conference. It is just 1 mm thick - a panel so thin it inspires technology to embed OLEDs into wallpaper, or even curtains.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/03/cool-new-oled-lighting-displayed-at-lighting-fair-2009.php

[The Wizard]

4. This concept was first brought to our attention

in the 1950s sitcom, "The Honeymooners" by Alice Kramden(Audrey Meadows) when she was ridiculing her husband Ralph(Jackie Gleason)for his get rich quick scheme to sell an all purpose kitchen gadget, "Chef of the Future," on TV. She cited other Ralph Kramden follies like No-Cal Pizza, a uranium field in Asbury Park, and wall paper that glows in the dark.
Ralph Kramden was a forward thinking bus driver.

[Javaman]

7. But can it core A apple?

oh that Ed Norton, still one of my favorite TV characters of all time.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

5. Oh shit, we'll be useing less energy!

Time for PG&E to raise rates again.

[guardian]

6. Technology is great

You can find more info on OLED technology at http://www.oled-display.net. Also if you search YouTube for "OLED" you'll find several videos showing uses of OLED technology. Pretty neat stuff.

[steve67]

8. Awesome!

Amazing stuff. I'm really looking forward to more of this type of technology appearing soon. Maybe it could eventually morph into the wall televisions like those in the old Fahrenheit 451 movie.

[jmowreader]

9. Just imagine if THAT happened...

When you got three Wall Televisions you were supposed to send off box tops to get scripts for television shows that made YOU one of the characters. The sick part of that, is people in the 21st Century would do it.

[Odin2005]

10. That is very cool!