There can’t be many people left in the world who have not at one time or another played a game of Tetris but how about a GIANT game of Tetris in LED heaven? Well a number of guys based in the USA got together to make an LED based version of the game.
The ‘game’ is composed of 240 led buttons. If you want to move the Tetris block right/left, you simply touch a button left or right of the current piece. To rotate a block you touch a button in one of the top two rows. And to drop a block you touch the bottom row. It’s a hands on Tetris game! Now for a few facts from the project:
- 16 microcontrollers
- Total of 256 MIPS
- 720 LEDs
- 1.5A current draw
- 1300 lines of code
- 28800 bits being updated per second
Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRXkeP-lxWY
Yet another step forward in LED technology is being made. The new generation of LED bulbs will not only light our homes and offices but could also be used to keep data safe and purify water!
These advances were discussed in an interview with Dr Rachel Oliver during the BBC Radio 4 programme The Material World (6th Dec 2007). Dr Oliver is an LED researcher from the University of Cambridge.
LEDs have enormous benefits over standard light bulbs because they’re a great deal more efficient, come in a range of different colours and have a very long lifetime. They are also good at saving energy too.
Because they last such a long time, architects could cover the side of a building with exciting lighting effects without worrying about constantly replacing the bulbs.
The interview continued to go into depth with a discussion on the colour properties of current and future LEDs.
We’re aiming for white light that looks like sunshine, and there are scientists trying to mix phosphors in just the right proportions. If we can achieve this, the white will not only look warmer, but could also be useful for people with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
At UltraLEDs we have many years of experience of working with LEDs and are constently searching the globe for the best LED products. You can view out latest products via this link http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/products_new.php
UltraLEDs are proud to announce we are the sole distributors in the UK for this professional only, 365nm High-Powered LED UV product … You MUST NOT look directly at this light as it will damage your eyes.
In operation the LED is fitted to a 3xD Maglite and produces SIGNIFICANT amounts of UVA radiation. Due to its portability and power there are a large number of applications for this product, for example:
- Forensics
- Police
- Anti-fraud
- Astronomy
- Disinfecting drinking water
- Sterilization … etc …
We have received a high number of enquiries about this product (eg. home office, regional police, forensic investigators/labs), and due to the nature of this product we are only accepting trade enquiries.
If you go into the News Agents remember have a look at the latest MOVE OR IMPROVE magazine. With WINTER upon us it’s a great time to think about your lighting requirements. Switching to LED technology can SAVE MONEY and help to SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT at the same time.
From recent experience it can also be a great safety device. I recently helped a friend change over to LED bulbs in their Kitchen. While removing one particular bulb it became evident that the bulb had been touching some fabric. Upon close inspection it was obvious that the fabric had nearly caught fire. While this is an extreme example … it clearly illustrates the benefits of LEDs which radiate little heat vs. TRADITIONAL BULBS which radiate as much as 90% to 95% of their energy as heat.
The applications that can benefit from LED technology continue to grow. The UK Department for Transport has just approved of the next generation of SolarLite from Astucia. These are LED lights with solar panels which replace the traditional cat’s eyes.
The built in solar powered Light Emitting Diode (LED) automatically illuminates from dusk to dawn and provides drivers with up to 900 metres of visibility. This is ten times greater than the traditional, retro-reflective, passive road stud which is limited by the headlight beam of the vehicle. With the increased visibility of the SolarLite road stud driver reaction time is of potential hazard in the road ahead is increased from 3.2 to over 30 seconds, when driving at 60mph. A number of Local Authorities with existing installations in the UK have reported significant reductions in night time accidents of well over 70% since the installation of the SolarLite intelligent road studs.