My idea of "laser lights" in 15 years time

[RJDG14]

I have a vision that a new type of light involving lasers will have superseded LEDs by the early 2030s. It will likely work one of these ways:

*A laser rotates on a motor several hundred times a second in order to light an area

*A static laser shines through a special refractive lantern, which distorts the light and sends it out in all directions (the most viable option)

I've included a drawing of how one of these may look alongside a typical residential LED.

[Helvellyn]

What advantage would that have over an LED light?

[J--M--B]

I have a vision that a new type of light involving lasers will have superseded LEDs by the early 2030s. It will likely work one of these ways:

*A laser rotates on a motor several hundred times a second in order to light an area

*A static laser shines through a special refractive lantern, which distorts the light and sends it out in all directions (the most viable option)

I've included a drawing of how one of these may look alongside a typical residential LED.

Sounds like the way a Laser scanner works, I suppose you could put one on every vehicle and have all the data shared to give a complete 3D picture of the surroundings.

Don't think it will happen though!

[rhyds]

The problem is that anything with a rotating/moving part will wear out eventually. Also, the motor powering it will probably negate any energy consumption savings.

[RJDG14]

What about a "refractive lens" system where a laser beam is shon through a lens which refracts the light out as a bulb?

[boing_uk]

More to the point, why would lasers be more energy efficient than LED's?

More likely will be the change to another kind of light-emitting source in a similar manner to LED; although I suspect the 2030's will be a little too soon for that! Lasers I doubt will ever match the energy efficiency.

[Fenlander]

OK it's only a limited edition high end model rather than standard fit on Ford Focus but laser lighting is available for headlamps on cars. http://www.autoblog.com/2016/11/02/audi ... eadlights/
I can't really see the use for street lighting though unless they go for something like mounting the lighting unit at the base and running fibre optics up to the head.

[Helvellyn]

OK it's only a limited edition high end model rather than standard fit on Ford Focus but laser lighting is available for headlamps on cars. http://www.autoblog.com/2016/11/02/audi ... eadlights/
I can't really see the use for street lighting though unless they go for something like mounting the lighting unit at the base and running fibre optics up to the head.

I wonder if you're on to something there, might that eventually be a better approach? One light source (at ground level for easy maintenance) and fibre optics to several lights.

[RJDG14]

Actually, yeah. Fibre optics may be a better alternative.

[sotonsteve]

Laser diodes are in something of a development phase at the moment, and at some point in the future could give light emitting diodes a run for their money. But of course, the technology would have to become more efficient and cheaper than LED if it were to get anywhere, and LED is going to take some beating. And yes, anything with moving parts is something of a maintenance liability.

[Patrick Harper]

There needs to be a cost effective way of dispersing the beam of laser light at a much wider angle, in the process making them safe enough to use in directional luminaires. Only at that point may lasers be even remotely considered for anything other than pointers, printing and optical discs.

[J--M--B]

I remember reading some years ago of a Chinese MBT with a high power laser on top, it detected any laser device pointed at it and zapped it back to destroy it. I briefly had a dream of leaving a few Talivan disabled.

[KeithW]

OK it's only a limited edition high end model rather than standard fit on Ford Focus but laser lighting is available for headlamps on cars. http://www.autoblog.com/2016/11/02/audi ... eadlights/
I can't really see the use for street lighting though unless they go for something like mounting the lighting unit at the base and running fibre optics up to the head.

Sounds like a solution in search of a problem to me.

[Patrick Harper]

Given that laser diodes natively produce monochromatic light, something LEDs can't do, I would imagine that the most immediate application would be traffic signals and pedestrian crossings. The internal design probably wouldn't be far off that of BMW's i8 vehicle, infact phosphorous materials used in the i8's headlights (to create white light out of blue light) wouldn't be required here.

[nowster]

Traffic "signal green" is not a pure monochromatic green, but the result of what you get if you put an oil flame behind a blue filter. Early LED traffic lights produced "grass green" instead of "signal green".

[kit]

Given that laser diodes natively produce monochromatic light, something LEDs can't do, I would imagine that the most immediate application would be traffic signals and pedestrian crossings. The internal design probably wouldn't be far off that of BMW's i8 vehicle, infact phosphorous materials used in the i8's headlights (to create white light out of blue light) wouldn't be required here.

LEDs can be monochromatic, or at least monochromatic to within 25nm which would be perfectly acceptable for a motorist to realise the light is red, amber or green. AFAIK there is not a massive problem in traffic light circles about the greens not being narrow spectrum green enough.

[Patrick Harper]

25nm? Lasers can do within 2nm. The point is that lasers could become more energy efficient and cost effective than LEDs, traffic signals being an easy gateway into the commercial mainstream.

[kit]

25nm? Lasers can do within 2nm. The point is that lasers could become more energy efficient and cost effective than LEDs, traffic signals being an easy gateway into the commercial mainstream.

I think it may be one of those things where LEDs are efficient enough that making further marginal improvements isn't going to be a game changer. It's unlikely to even get adoption by other lights becoming obsolescent as then a whole new set of spare parts would be needed.

Certainly in my home the LED lighting energy use is in the league of things like radios where so little energy is used there is not much point trying to use them more efficiently.

[J--M--B]

Traffic "signal green" is not a pure monochromatic green, but the result of what you get if you put an oil flame behind a blue filter. Early LED traffic lights produced "grass green" instead of "signal green".

Didn't electric ships' navigation lights originally have to accurately reproduce the colour of the original oil lamps?

[RJDG14]

Traffic "signal green" is not a pure monochromatic green, but the result of what you get if you put an oil flame behind a blue filter. Early LED traffic lights produced "grass green" instead of "signal green".

From my experience nearly all traffic lights nowadays are LED.