We've already seen that LED lighting can be incorporated into carpets and wallpaper. Now, Ikea will be using LEDs in a whole host of other products around the home. The company has invested in Design LED Products for the use of its innovative LED light tiles.
The light tiles produced by Design LED Products are thin, flexible and low cost. They use less energy than traditional lighting and last for up to 20 times as long, according to Ikea's figures. They can also be joined together depending on what the product design requires.
"This technology opens up fantastic possibilities for innovative designs using energy efficient LEDs," says managing director of IKEA GreenTech Christian Ehrenborg in a press release. "The partnership is a clear strategic fit for IKEA and our goal to make living sustainably affordable and attractive for millions of people."
The LEDs are embedded into a thin and flexible transparent film with printed surface optics. The surface pattern governs the uniformity and angle(s) of the light that is produced and can be tailored depending on what is required.
They can be produced in a variety of colors and can generate up to 20,000 lumens of light per square meter (1,858 lumens/sq ft). Single tiles can be created in any size or shape up to 1 m (3.3 ft). Examples of potential uses include their use in pieces of furniture, bulbless lamps or for television backlighting.
Sources: Ikea, Design LED Products