- Emitter efficiency increases (less heat & more output)
- Light products that can be configured and controlled via BT/Wifi/remote control/app (already exists, but more mainstream)
- Tint mixing/adjustment/control while light product is in use
- Lights that automatically adjust output based on external factors (light, sound, signals, other sensors)
- New lightweight/robust materials for the body
Potentially new form factors for light products
As we have now seen with other electric innovations, the future of energy lies partly in how energy is stored and how dense this storage is. So new battery chemistries and form factors will play a significant role.
I would like to see next a 2xAA flashlight, where the batteries are placed in parallel (so can be used with one battery like Acebeam UC15), with a constant current driver, as thin as possible. Then the head can be one or two LEDs, with various combinations of emitters and optics.
But efficiency can only go so far because light is just another form of heat. If there was an extremely heat resistant led then it could be thermally isolated from the host so it doesn’t burn your hand (or pocket)
Okay so heat and light are marginally different but they are both forms of energy. I get what you’re saying 100% efficiency = electromagnet wavelength being sent in one direction so the emitter itself doesn’t absorb any energy and get hot. Still sounds good to me
The last item varbos mentioned may seem funny at first, but we are implementing a more human decision approach and “feelings” into our daily innovations. Think about some answers Siri gives you or how the latest robots work.
And therefore I am adding something to the list:
- A flashlight you can talk to. “Hey Olight, can you brighten up the room a bit?” “Hey FW3A_V2, can you shine more over here where I am working?”
Im ashamed to say that up until the flashlights can feel pain and become jealous and questioned the synthetic diamond part, I believed everything was real. You can tell Im no expert in flashlights.
The Acebeam EC65 is a quad 21700, though I don’t think it has ramping (I haven’t look. It does have usb charging with (not to spec) USB-C connector.
Also a D4Sv2 could be made with the normal Carclo quad optics which have a smaller diameter, and it would probably get updated with all the D4v2 stuff too. But I though a lot of owners preferred that different optic.
Last one is a bit tougher, boost drivers cost a little more in both money and size, and the 70.2 is somewhat expensive as far as our common LEDs go. (it’s certainly no CFT-90 though hahaha)
I still have a soft spot for 1xAA lights (especially if they also accept 14500 Li-Ion cells). I’d love to see more development of the perfect BLF 1xAA special with a fancy open source driver and a good clip, very low parasitic drain and/or mechanical lockout, and compact size.
I also think there’s room for a BLF special edition headlamp. Zebralight is awesome, but they’ve ruled the market for far too long!
I’d be interested in a few things: (some have been mentioned, so +1 on those)
-Bike lights
-Buck+boost drivers
-Magnetic attaching+onboard-storing diffusers (90deg or side switch lights)
-Headlamp with large LES and high CRI (linear array of Nichia 757?)
-RGB color ramping aux LEDs
-USB or BT programming connectivity
-LEP thrower
-Diecast designs
–14650 based EDC with A6 style FW (think 15mm longer ET D25a)
This looks really interesting in dual 21700. Flat enough for a pocket, bright enough for most every thing. Guessing up to 10,000 lumens in XP-L HD, 8000 lumens in SST-20 5000K. Just doubling the Emisar D4S 26650 stats. Maybe a Nitecore EC4 style tail cap with thumb screw. And/or a magnetic charging port similar to Olight, Fenix or Klarus for real life waterproofing.
