On the company stand, visitors were given the opportunity to try out Artistic's newest dimming products for eco-friendly lighting: the Phase Detect Dimmer and bladeRunner two.
Visitors were shown how the Phase Detect Dimmer provides an ingenious solution to the challenges associated with LED dimming. LEDs are incompatible with conventional mains dimmers and 'LED replacement bulbs' dim poorly, if at all - often presenting stepped dimming curves. However, the Phase Detect Dimmer overcomes these problems, working in conjunction with a standard leading edge mains dimmer and the existing building infrastructure to achieve completely smooth dimming. As such, many were impressed by its obvious suitability for retrofit installations, enabling older fixtures to be replaced by more energy efficient lighting without the need to rewire the building.
bladeRunner two also attracted a great deal of interest, being one the first commercially available products for OLED optimized dimming. OLED (which stands for organic LED) is a new technology that offers planar white illumination, quite different to conventional LED point sources. Many visitors were encountering the technology for the first time, and were interested to learn that the driving requirements are subtly different to LED, requiring stringent fail-safe operation. The stand displayed a bladeRunner two module in the base of a task light, a format that is currently available on an OEM basis.
Visitors were also given a tantalising preview of Artistic's new remote control apps for iPad and iPhone. Currently in development, the OSC based apps will provide a sleek interface for many Artistic Licence products, including Colour-Tramp, dVnet and DMX-Workshop.
Making its debut at the show, dVnet soft provides a versatile software-only version of Artistic's digital video-to-network converter, dVnet. The product is aimed at retail and architectural applications in which a media facade or light sculpture is to be controlled by video, and the complexity of a media server is not required. dVnet soft offers all the functionality of the original (rack-mount) product, yet can be controlled simply by a laptop operating on Windows 7 - as delegates were enthused to experience for themselves at the hands-on demonstration at Showlight.
Recognising the importance of Showlight's educational programme and large student contingent, Artistic Licence CEO, Wayne Howell, was on hand to offer advice and answer technical questions throughout the show. For those with a deeper interest, copies of the latest (third) edition of Rock Solid Ethernet, Howell's indispensible guide to network technology for lighting, were available for preview.
Howell also gave an illuminating seminar on the correct use of lighting control protocols. This ended with an audacious (and subsequently much discussed) prediction that the industry would soon embrace a new data communications technology known as Visible Light Communication (VLC, or 'Li-Fi').
As Howell comments, "Showlight is a great forum to discuss ideas and generally raise awareness of topics that may have passed our industry by. I can think of few conferences that have been more lively or stimulating, and I applaud the organisers for pulling off such a memorable event."
(Jim Evans)
