Philips has been making light bulbs for as long as anyone can remember, but the company might actually soon make them obsolete with its new OneSpace illuminated panels, which promise to make entire ceilings glow to light up a room.
Instead of using electroluminescent technology — the same stuff that powers those glowing t-shirts you can buy — the light from the OneSpace panels is actually produced by a series of LEDs that are diffused by fabrics to produce a soft uniform glow. And while they will be able to produce pure white light, making them ideal for dealerships and car showrooms, warmer options will also be available for stores and even hotels.
The panels will be available in sizes up to 10 by 33 feet, which is more than large enough to fill some rooms. And presumably they can be linked and arranged side-by-side to accommodate larger spaces as well. While they eliminate the need for ugly lighting fixtures, installation appears to require the addition of a dropped ceiling, which is expensive and will reduce the headroom in a space. The effect will probably be similar to installing ceiling tiles in a given space — just much less hideous. [Philips via Gizmag]