Velodyne LiDAR, the world leader in 3D real-time perception systems for autonomous vehicles, has been working on promoting the safety of autonomous cars. The company will hold the World Safety Summit on Autonomous Technology to address safety issues and public concern regarding autonomous vehicles in Santa Clara, California, on October 18th. In addition, it has partnered with non-profit organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to create an educational website providing information about how autonomous vehicles can help to prevent roadway collisions.

Automotive LED application has provided advanced light sources for drivers and now it offers a new function: creating eyes for self-driving cars like those of Herbie’s. 

Dr. Hiroshi Amano, a 2014 Nobel laureate in physics, delivered a lecture at Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan on October 3rd, sharing his research progress on GaN blue LED with Prof. Isamu Akasaki and how he has transferred his research focus from blue LED to UV LED and GaN power. He also highlighted the potential applications of GaN technology in the era of IoT and 5G. 

LG Display has confirmed its plan to cut jobs through voluntary retirement as the company intends to shift its product portfolio from LCD display to OLED display which requires less production workforce, reported Reuters.

Taiwan-based LED packagers Edison Opto and Bright LED Electronics (BRTLED) have reported their strategies in response to the price competition of LED products and the impacts of trade war. 

Taiwanese LED wafer and chip maker Epileds has reportedly continued its progress in developing Micro LED/Mini LED products. However, impacted by the price pressure and severe competition, the company’s performance for 3Q18 turned out flat.

People have continued to discover more applications and functions of LED lights. Researchers at Purdue University have found that blue and red LED can be used to prevent birds from colliding with human structures and vehicles.

Nick Klase, co-founder and CEO of Fluence Bioengineering, has appointed Dave Cohen as the new CEO of the company and he will move into a new role in the company’s R&D team.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has introduced its new development of an indoor lighting technology which mimics blue skies and changes colors with daytime to create a natural feel for indoor spaces.

With the low profit of LED general lighting and the escalating uncertainty of the LED industry due to the trade war, worldwide LED manufacturers are facing unprecedented challenges and have taken different actions to cope with the situation. Some decided to divert their LED lighting business while others are changing their business focal point. However, LEDinside believes that there are plenty of opportunities for LED lighting technology despite the difficult circumstance of the current LED lighting industry.

Many panel producers have reported profit drop in the early 2018 due to oversupply. But in the third quarter of 2018, the enhanced stocking-up demand in the peak season has reversed the over-supply trend, analyzed WitsView, a division of TrendForce.

Dr. Hiroshi Amano, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2014, will deliver a lecture on October 3rd at Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan. The topic of the lecture is “The History of the Development of Blue & UV-LEDs and Their Future Prospects.”

A Cincinnati-based indoor farming company, 80 Acres Farms, has announced its plan to build a vertical farm in Hamilton, Ohio, which will be the first fully automated indoor farm in the U.S.

Taiwanese LED manufacturers have been affected by the tepid LED market resulting from LED price declines due to oversupply. The escalating trade war has also impacted the demand of the end market. 

Current by GE and Vodafone have worked together to deploy a new multi-sensor network in part of Vodafone’s London headquarters. Combining sensors of Current by GE, IoT technology and cloud of Vodafone, the new network has adopted innovative visualization software to transform raw data into actionable information.

Garage Isla Verde, LLC is a Puerto Rico-based dealership of Mercedes-Benz and it has deployed the LED lighting and control solutions from Current, powered by GE for its new construction.

Held on September 20th in Taipei, Taiwan, Imec Technology Forum Taiwan has gathered professionals from Imec’s R&D center to present their cutting edge technology and achievements in hardware-software integration.

We have become aware of the damages that blue light can bring to our eyes and the possible benefit of Human Centric Lighting. A psychology researcher at Simon Fraser University, Canada, is looking to explore the effect of LED lighting even more by studying whether innovative LED lighting that mimics natural sunlight can affect the body’s natural circadian rhythms and improve mental health.

Imec Taiwan, a subsidiary of the Belgium-based R&D institute Imec, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Taiwan’s Instrument Technology Research Center of National Applied Research Laboratories (ITRC-NARLabs) for future collaboration in developing advanced imaging and optics applications. One of the focal points of the cooperation is to enhance the development of Micro LED and to explore further applications of the technology. 

With 31- year history in lighting industry, Shanghai Wellmax Lighting (WELLMAX) has been participating in the Canton Fair since its establishment. As the LED Bulb Expert, the company has impressed global clients by its eye-catching brand image, trendy products as well as professional service experience every year. What is new in WELLMAX at the 2018 autumn exhibitions?

A research project led by Brunel University London and a consortium of partners including Marks & Spencer, Tata Steel and AIXTRON plans to reduce the production cost of flexible OLED lighting panels to bring more options for lighting. 

The falling price of LED general lighting products has led to lower profits for LED lighting manufacturers. The trade war and imposed tariffs on LED products have also affected the industry. Worldwide LED producers have taken different measures in response to the impacts.

Automotive applications are the focal points for LED technology applications. Many LED producers have targeted the rapidly growing automotive LED market and searched for niche LED products.

Taiwan-based semiconductor equipment supplier Gallant Precision Machining (GPM) announced in July that the company has been developing equipment for Micro LED production. Its subsidiary, GMM, which focuses on the field, will complete the equipment for mass transferring Micro LED chips by the first quarter of 2019.

Taiwanese LED auto lamps manufacturer Excellence Optoelectronics Inc (EOI) is expanding its production capacities in Michigan which will introduce automated production lines and design department. The new capacities are expected to start functioning by the end of 2019. 

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation announced that it will close its Numazu factory in Shizuoka Ken which produces LED lighting equipment and lighting control by March 2019, reported Nikkei.

Seoul Semiconductor has announced that three of its former employees were charged for divulgence of the company’s LED technology. The police in South Korea have investigated the case and are expected to detain the three individuals. 

A prior research report of LEDinside has pointed out that the scale of India’s LED lighting market is growing rapidly on the back of the Indian government’s policy to turn the country into an export hub for lighting products and the international lighting brands’ plan of setting up R&D and production centers in India. By 2020, the Indian LED lighting market is forecasted to grow to US$1.715 billion.

U.S. based Orion Energy System (Orion Lighting) updated that the company has continued to receive orders and letters of intent from major national accounts. With the orders, the company is expected to reach the 10 percent growth goal for the fiscal 2019 year ending March 31, 2019*. 

Samsung introduced the world’s first Onyx multiplex theater at Shanghai ARCH Wanda Cinema on September 7th. The theater offers six Samsung Onyx Cinema LED screens in one location, creating an entertaining space to offer impressive visual experiences.