WHAT'S NEXT?

aeon · 2019-08-14T07:09:09.000Z

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.

wle · 2019-08-14T11:09:19.000Z

pinkpanda3310:

Extreme heat tolerant leds. Either that or no heat producing leds which is an oxymoron.

If LEDs became more efficient, their heat production would go down. So you could get brighter/smaller/cooler lights.

pinkpanda3310 · 2019-08-14T11:38:19.000Z

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)

wle · 2019-08-14T12:19:59.000Z

pinkpanda3310:

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) :disguised_face:

True.
(I mean the heat resistant LED part.)

But light isn’t heat.
Even IR light isn’t ‘heat’ - it (and any light) just heats things that happen to absorb it.

You could also define efficiency as “useful (i.e., visible) light out/electric power in”

Relampago · 2019-08-14T12:56:24.000Z

Relampago · 2019-08-14T12:58:00.000Z

pinkpanda3310 · 2019-08-14T12:58:09.000Z

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

Barkuti · 2019-08-14T13:16:48.000Z

Source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pc-Aladdin-Lamp-Oil-Magic-Genie-Vintage-Tea-Pot-Arabian-Craft-Decor-24-9-15cm-/264013804302

O:)

ImagioX1 · 2019-08-14T13:58:24.000Z

I think the next big step is gonna be LEP.

varbos · 2019-08-14T20:12:23.000Z

- Eye tracking combined with motorized platform so beam points where you’re looking

- Flashlight with lasers and stuff which can paint an ‘outline’ around objects or edges (projection mapping)

- LED directly on shelf (no mcpcb) for better heat transfer

- Use of heat-pipes

- Anode and cathode are both available on + end so why send current through battery tube ?

- Make entire flashlight out of synthetic diamond for better heatsinking

Flashlight which can feel pain and become jealous when you buy newer model

Binford · 2019-08-14T20:18:43.000Z

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?”

Imagine the use cases going forward…

Dougdimadome · 2019-08-14T20:18:56.000Z

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.

Scallywag · 2019-08-14T20:55:18.000Z

PBWilson:

A quad or triple with ramping and a 21700 cell. Something just a smidge thinner than an Emisar D4S and not the absolute scorcher of a Fireflies E07?

A budget and compact 70.2 light with a single 21700 cell?

And I dig those designs, Di_Joker.

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)

e1000 · 2019-08-14T23:27:03.000Z

PBWilson:

A budget and compact 70.2 light with a single 21700 cell?

Pretty easy build today. Convoy S21A, XHP70.2

Lund1660 · 2019-08-15T01:36:22.000Z

e1000:

PBWilson:

A budget and compact 70.2 light with a single 21700 cell?

Pretty easy build today. Convoy S21A, XHP70.2

Where did you get that reflector? It’s beautiful! What’s the beam like?

e1000 · 2019-08-15T03:02:39.000Z

Lund1660:

Where did you get that reflector? It’s beautiful! What’s the beam like?

Ledil Boom reflector. Beam is super floody but even, no donut hole.

I actually prefer the XHP-50.2 using the stock OP reflector better.

sb56637 · 2019-08-15T03:07:00.000Z

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!

JaredM · 2019-08-15T03:42:08.000Z

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)

texas_shooter · 2019-08-15T04:19:04.000Z

Di_Joker:

It would be interesting to see the development of an alternative rare form factor: NITECORE TM10K, NITECORE Concept2…
Prototype YLP Octopus:

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.

Henk4U2 · 2019-08-15T08:02:47.000Z

Speaking for myself: I can’t remember being overwhelmed by too much real innovations lately
My feeling is that most everything I read is about efficiency, AKA evolution.
Which is not a bad thing in itself. But you also might just call it: more of the same.
Meaning schlepping around big lights with big batteries and lots and lots of XHP 789.x emitters.

Batteries: every now and then you read about a new chemistry with a double energy density.
That can be loaded to a 100% in 5 minutes. And the university that came with the idea,
thinks it can be made outside a lab in a size bigger than a grain of rice within the next decade.
Though still cylindrical.
How about making a 2 component battery with totally harmless silly putty like characteristics, .
Which can be stowed away in any “dead” corner of the flashlight housing.
The red stuff connected to the + lead of the driver, and the green stuff to the - lead.
Maybe even make the flashlight housing itself from the same silly putty plus some solidifier.

Emitter: we have seen incandescent’s in the flavors carbon and tungsten, vacuum and halogen.
But except at the very start we have not seen a giant leap for mankind.
Then came the LED. A short period HID was the new wonder. And now there is the LEP.
For the inventors I hope it is well patented, for us I hope it is not.

To direct the light we have reflectors, lenses, TIR’s and the very well patented Wavien collar.
Why no (electro)magnets? Light is an electromagnetic wave, after all.
But maybe somewhere there is a hermit in a celler working on a sort of Chitauri Scepter.
Just waiting to be silenced by an ambulance chaser reprogrammed to be a patent hunter.

Cynical? Maybe. Depressed? Nah. Give a kid its first flashlight (parental guidance).
Simple and solid design. To small to serious hurt someone, too big to swallow.
Watch those eyes light up as the light goes on. Even beats eating a big bar of chocolate.