WHAT'S NEXT?

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.

Boaz · 2019-08-15T08:34:26.000Z

Blasphemy !!! .. I can eat chocolate in the dark . Or dark chocolate in the light . But lights and no chocolate ? That's very un-BLF of you to say . The tradition to send something sweet with every light shipped is still very strong in some circles here on the forum .

BurningPlayd0h · 2019-08-16T05:13:14.000Z

Henk4U2:

Why no (electro)magnets? Light is an electromagnetic wave, after all.

1 - Electromagnets take lots of power

2 - Light behaves as both a particle and wave. But assuming you can focus and direct any/all EM waves like that is a complete misunderstanding anyway.

Henk4U2 · 2019-08-16T07:31:29.000Z

BurningPlayd0h:

Henk4U2:

Why no (electro)magnets? Light is an electromagnetic wave, after all.

1 - Electromagnets take lots of power

2 - Light behaves as both a particle and wave. But assuming you can focus and direct any/all EM waves like that is a complete misunderstanding anyway.

So it is up to you/me/us to find the missing link that connects the two phenomena, and save the day :innocent:

When I was young, automobiles had to be preceded by a pedestrian waving a red flag.
And look how far we have come: spontaneous self combustion without human interference!

wle · 2019-08-16T10:56:44.000Z

pinkpanda3310:

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

right — all the incoming energy from the battery, leaves the LED in the form of visible light, it doesn’t hang around heating the LED, and it isn’t UV or IR or x rays

wle

wle · 2019-08-16T10:59:37.000Z

ImagioX1:

I think the next big step is gonna be LEP.

light emitting phosphor?

what would that do?

i thought they had that already

i want 100x the energy density in batteries, then 100% efficient light-makers

wle

BurningPlayd0h · 2019-08-16T14:12:34.000Z

wle:

ImagioX1:

I think the next big step is gonna be LEP.

light emitting phosphor?

what would that do?

i thought they had that already

i want 100x the energy density in batteries, then 100% efficient light-makers

wle

Laser Excited Phosphor, it’s what’s used in the W10, W30 and the other similar new long range throwers/”white lasers”.

bmengineer · 2019-08-16T15:42:37.000Z

I’m hoping what’s next is a step away from multi-LED hot rods. Sure, they’re fun, but a more balanced beam with some reach is way more versatile for most people, and I don’t relish burning my thigh. A single LED FW1A, tube-light shaped D1, and the new YLP Unicorn are all headed in the right direction for me.
Conversely, headlamps should be floody - I’d love to see the compact build and high quality that Emisar has come to a triple LED headlamp, though that use case is really suited to a boost driver and not the FET setup they’ve used so far.

varbos · 2019-08-16T16:31:27.000Z

bmengineer:

A single LED FW1A, tube-light shaped D1, and the new YLP Unicorn are all headed in the right direction for me.

Is that thought to be coming, or are you just speculating?
Because I would love it.