Philips' transparent OLED lighting for post-modern identity masking, toilets
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Mar 6th 2009 7:21AM
posted Mar 6th 2009 7:21AM
[Via OLED-Display]
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How efficient are these compared to current compact fluorescents?
I'm not sure about this current system, but if you're interested in low wattages with low lumen output, LEDs are your man (men?) for wicked awesome efficiency.
When you cross into higher wattages, LEDs become increasingly less efficient due to the large amount of heat generated by proximity. Maybe in 3 to 5 years, we'll figure out a way to put that behind us without having to use water-cooling for LED headlight assemblies. The tech's there, it's just not readily available yet, you know?
I am just interested in whether it is a good move to replace current compact fluorescent lighting with these oled lighting panels.
Nice development though, although if they give out light from both sides it will not be a very good replacement for windows.
It's probably not a good idea to go trash your current CFL system yet, seeing as how you're going to be waiting 3 to 5 years for these to enter a production state. And, if I know Philips, you're looking at 5 years rather than 3.
"Nice development though, although if they give out light from both sides it will not be a very good replacement for windows."
True, but if you were to make the inner pane of glass of a double-glazed window out of this LED stuff, you could make the outer pane of glass using Smart Glass:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_glass
Then, as the inner pane lights up, the outer pane becomes opaque.
Now you can pimp your ride and put TV screens in the windows or have auto tinting windows. :)
Well HURRY UP!!! Ga, it's almost 2010! sheesh...
On a larger scale, this would be perfect for windows. During the day, natural light would suffice. Then when it was overcast or during the evening/night, the windows would gradually lighten up. What would be even better is if like those clever bus/coach window advertising systems that still allow the passengers to see out the OLED panel remained transparent from one side even when lit. The applications of this invention are numerous. Good stuff Philips!
I expect the light is emitted from both sides.
imagine these replaceing your windows, combined with colored oleds
summer all year long ;)
you could have the view from a nice mountain...
this would even make a great idea for a company... selling viewing points for your interactive windows...
like installing cameras somewhere in the jungle and streaming this onto your windows
Your are so right. In fact, my employer has been planning something like that since the 1990s. We built a (since taken offline) crude website at TELESERENITY.com listing webcams of scenic locations. However, back then, the feeds were of very low quality and unreliable. But in the next few years, as proven by some of the live nature cams featured on (BBC) TV today, it will be possible to stream live HD video to the web and elsewhere reliably. We hope to do that with an all new version of TELESERENITY. If you would like to be put on our mailing list, fire an email off to 'owonder AT gmail DOT com'. (We're in stealth mode currently.) Don't usually use Engadget to promote, this is a one off.
Indeed.
Mate! that's ferkin' cool! - where do I invest?!
The current size seems just right for certain bars I've been to in Berlin...
This is pretty cool shit!
True, the light would reflect on both sides, but I'm sure a coating can be added to reflect the light back in.
then it wouldnt be transparent anymore, would it?
It's cool until you get a power cut
transparent , but only in one direction !
Is the Cyclops?
This is pretty cool, but what I've always wanted is electro-chromic glass for my car. I want variable tint on all windows. Anyone know of a place that offers this sort of glass? Even EC privacy glass (the kind that turns a frosty white) would be nice -- I could use it to make the car turn opaque whenever I armed the alarm...
Market that idea and you'll make a zillion, Dan!
The only issue would be with states requiring law enforcement 'needing' to see inside your vehicle when you're not around.
@STINK
actually the tech is already there as implied by Dan. The problem is acquiring it because it probably need to be custom made. As far as car goes, this tech usually comes with the newer and more expensive cars.
Probably most of the application of this tech is being used in Architecture field.
So, If I'm using one of these new bathroom stalls or showers, I better PRAY there is no power outage or my junk will be all over the evening news. ; ^ )
LED and I'd assume OLED are far more efficient than CFLs and don't contain deadly mercury. They are also a more constant light source than, CFL - don't take any time to turn on. The only other contender is Plasma lights. Now, those are actually being deployed in street lighting.
I've been using power LED from OSLAM for projection, which got 25W power. Though it generate so much heat. In fact it is a 15W
heat generator. To cool it I needed to mount 2"X2" heat-sink and a cooling fan, end up with the housing more or less same size as a halogen lamp. Since it has much larger aria, OLED may have less heat problem in its element still it warms up the room. (Hot toilet !!)
Efficiency is still not high enough.
Uhm Philips is a bit slow?
http://www.oled-display.net/new-transparent-white-oled-from-osram
Posted: December 13th, 2007
This is kind of off topic but W/e...
Has anyone considered using OLEDs as backlighting for LCD's? I'd imagine in one or two years a plain white OLED will be fairly cheap way of having a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio LCD TV in addition to making the LCD thinner. Any thoughts?
I don't think that's off topic?? Isn't that the hypothetical future-development of this tech? First, light up glass, then eventually glass that you can turn on and use as a monitor? Imagine sections of your windshields outfitted w/ clear displays, like a HUD... makes Star Trek look like A Trip to the Moon! lol.
No real reason to do it. If you're going to go to the expense of using OLEds you may as well just use an OLED screen in the first place =D Much better image quality.
I found the answer to my question:
http://digidelve.com/tech/collimating-microlens-array/
Yeah, OLED displays already exist and don't require a backlight.
As though amateur stargazers and astronomers weren't already pissed light pollution.
I'm sure the future Carl Sagans will love Tokyoflash-style blinkfests as they're trying to focus in on a star cluster.
I would have said 'focus in on Uranus', but that would be wrong.
You shouldn't use a stall with walls made out of those unless you want people to see you taking a shit when the power goes out.
But when the power goes out, they can't see you anyway (unless they have flashlights).
In fact, speaking of flashlights... I'm pretty sure these are just as transparent at full blast as they are when turned off -- all you need is to illuminate whatever's on the other side bright enough to see it through the emitted light.
There's a mint to be made by some Chinese firm selling gooseneck HID spotlights to pervs -- shine it over the top of the partition to illuminate the person next to you and you can see them -- shine it on yourself to flash everyone. (Not to encourage this at all -- just saying it'll happen.)
gotta love that smile
Well thats a nice development.
Think is: I'm in Berlin nearly everyday, what are you guys talking about?
For those that think high powered LED's with heatsinks are the future, nobody wants heat because it's a waste of energy. Ideally you want many many tiny surface mount LED's to create a bright array compared to one hot one.
OLED's are efficient, but I question the lumen output. They're great for decoration or highlighting.
I was in Europe last year. All the bathroom stalls had holes in the sides. The locals called these "glory holes" and said they were for sharing toiletries, I guess so you wouldn't have to reach around under the stall if you dropped something. So, will these new fangled OLED toilet stalls have "glory holes" too?
wow, clearly you traveled the length of Europe, and presumably there are no nasty toilet blocks in America, huh?
I imagine the biggest application for this technology might be in augmented reality.
"and stall dividers in trendy Germany toilets"
What happens when the voltage-regulator fails??