subject: Multiple Uses Of Led Lights [print this page] Street lighting, vehicle lighting, stage lighting, theater lighting, architectural lighting, display lighting, and decorative lighting are some of the fields where LED lights are commonly used. From the time man produced the first sparks of heat and light by rubbing together stones, innovative methods have been introduced for producing light. Firewood, kerosene, wax, oil, gas, and finally the king of it all, electricity, have been used for light requirements. Lengthening this list is the light producing mechanism of light emitting diodes.
LED lights. are produced by what is known as electroluminescence where light is produced in response to the passing of an electric current through a semiconductor material. Electrons recombine as a result of this charge, thereby releasing light. Color generation is managed in LED lights by controlling the energy gap or band gap of the semiconductor material.
LED lights were invented by a young Russian scientist by the name Oleg Vladimirovich Losev and came into popular use after about 40 years, by the early 1960s. LED lights techniques have been getting continuously modified from the time of its invention. The easy maintenance schedule of LED lights and its low energy consumption have been found to be very useful in several day-to-day applications.
LED lights are used as street lights, in traffic signal lights, in parking garages, and for different types of automotive lighting. It is used in the light bars or beacons of emergency vehicles like police vehicles, ambulances, towing trucks and fire engines; in brake lights; and in the rear lights of big and small vehicles like vans, cars, motor bikes, and bicycles. LED lights are effective as fog lights as well.
Various display applications and indicators rely on the functionalities of LED lights for effective presentation of messages. Weather displays, and displays of train and plane timings in railway terminals and airports, are done using LED lights. It is also used in various public transport services like buses, boats, and trains to display the destination, in ship's lanterns, and in aircraft cockpit.
Since LED lights can preserve vision in darkness, it is useful for lighting in weather laboratories, astronomy observatories, submarines, and ship bridges. These lights are used more and more these days in flashlights used by military in field use, by police on night patrol, and also by police doing crime investigation even during daytime. Hunters use LED lights for spotting game at night and animal watchers on safari expeditions also rely on it for better visibility.
LED lights do a fine job as decorative lights and are very effective in architectural lighting. In theaters and stadiums these lights are used for stage lighting, outside lighting, and for exit signs. LED lights are suitable for smaller displays like digital watches and larger displays like billboards.
LED lights are energy efficient and so are economical as a long-term investment. Besides, it is a clean energy source that does not contain mercury and help in reducing the carbon footprint. Added to these are the compactness and durability of LED. Because of these myriad qualities, more and more applications are using LED lights and manufacturers are trying to bring down the production costs to increase its usage.
