Super efficient LED reflector captures and reflects light from ‘Virtual LED’

By on Jun 18, 2012

led-reflector-3m

A new joint effort between 3M and Todd Bracher has resulted in a new kind of LED reflector that doesn’t just spread out all the light from a single LED, but it also ‘shares’ that light with neighboring reflectors. Using a single high powered LED in one of the lightfalls reflector, other nearby reflectors reflect light as if they were also populated by a single LED and share that light with other similar reflectors in a circle of eight.

The key to the Virtual LED reflector is not just super nifty design to share a single light source but the super high reflectivity of the new 3M material covering the reflectors helps to bounce back 98% of photons. The current design for the grouping of Virtual LED reflectors is currently targeted at lighting up big spaces, walls and large rooms with few LEDs but it would be awesome to see future LED reef lights use fewer LEDs and this same reflector concept. [Designboom via Gizmodo]

Posted in Reef News |
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  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Frode-Numan/659084887 Frode Numan

    Hm, you can’t make more light (energy) by just reflecting it…
    So I can see how you can use it to light bigger rooms evenly but dimly with a few LEDs,
    but use for Aquarium lightning…more even spread? You will still need the number of LEDs we use now to get enough energy.

  • Curtis Kramer

    This would still cut down on light spillage, in my opinion. Utilizing the “waste” light that would be absorbed into a wall or bounced off your ceiling. Any home designer could tell you that a white wall will result in a brighter room. This works on a similar principle: bounce the light to where it is needed to fully utilize it.

  • skunkmere

    i think it would make the led more efficient. but i cant help but think that that shiny surface would degrade quick with salt spray.

  • HecticDialectics

    Looks like a wall of silver butts