According to the latest 2018 infrared sensing application report from LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, pulse oximeter heart rate sensors in digital health have been completely introduced into smartwatch and wristband markets. They have been gradually introduced into other wearable devices, applied in sports training, home care and automotive driver monitoring markets. Because there are around 400 million patients, suffering from diabetes in the world, blood glucose monitoring market has high potential. Most blood glucose monitors are invasive. To achieve non-invasive IR optical sensing, the main keys are the accuracy of calculating program, cooperation of medical organizations and FDA certification.

Sansi North America (SNA) Displays, a manufacturer of custom LED display and lighting solutions, recently completed the installation of five exterior LED video displays at 10 Times Square, also known as 1441 Broadway.

LEDVANCE stated on January 11 that it will shut down two facilities producing traditional lighting products and it is looking to complete the closing by December 2018, as EdisonReport carried in an article.

Sumitomo Chemical has reportedly phased out its LED sapphire substrate business. SSLM, a South Korean sapphire wafer joint venture funded by Sumitomo Chemical and Samsung, stopped manufacturing sapphire substrates and Samsung also claimed to have halted investments in the company, reported The Nihon Keizai Shinbun.

VLNComm, a US-basesd firm focusing on the development of bi-directional Li-Fi, has developed the fastest, most affordable and most innovative Li-Fi LED lighting panel in the industry. Introduced and successfully demonstrated before to more than 500 people at CES 2018, the LumiNex panel is capable of 108Mbps download speeds and when coupled with the LumiStick 2, 53Mbps upload speeds. Coverage is 516 square feet and includes support for 15 users simultaneously all through the use of industry standard white LEDs.

Masco Corporation, a manufacturers of branded home improvement and building products, announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire The L.D. Kichler Co. (“Kichler Lighting”), a developer of decorative residential and light commercial lighting products, ceiling fans and LED lighting systems across both consumer and professional distribution channels.

Philips Lighting is expanding its Friends of Hue program to include several leading North American LED lighting luminaire manufacturers: Access Lighting, Craftmade, ELK and ET2. The Friends of Hue partnership unites decorative lighting design with all the benefits of Philips Hue, enabling consumers to enjoy a greater choice of luminaires to enhance the look of their homes. Products by the respective partners are expected to launch in North America in Q1 and Q2 2018.

Environmental Lights, specializing in LED lighting solutions, announced the availability of a new high-capacity, low-cost single-channel dimmer.

Feit Electric, an established lighting manufacturer and pioneer in energy efficient lighting, announced the expansion of the company’s product line to offer a complete LED lighting program for California, compliant with the state’s more rigorous guidelines.

Retro LED filament bulbs are trending from New York to London and installed at locations from retro bars, vogue restaurants, to households as intricate decorative lighting. Their appearances look similar to traditional incandescent lamps, but their light is softer. LEDfilament bulbs are not only used for decoration, but they also save energy and reduce carbon emission.

As one of Asia’s biggest trade shows for electronics design and manufacturing, the annual NEPCON JAPAN has been drawing huge crowds every year. The event gathers technology suppliers, R&D teams, and industrial experts from around the world, creating valuable opportunities for business collaborations and information exchanges. This year’s NEPCON JAPAN was held at Tokyo Big Sight from 17 to 19 January.

The development of technologies, components, theories, and practical experience for autonomous driving will determine when fully autonomous vehicles become mainstream and how we introduce it to our everyday life. In particular, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) is one of the key technologies that helps monitor conditions of cars, capture surrounding situations, detect dangers and hazards and send warnings to make drivers stay alert before accidents happen. At NEPCON JAPAN 2018, exhibitors demonstrate their solutions for autonomous driving and ADAS.

Lighting Science, specializing in human-centric lighting solutions, unveiled its enhanced line of biological LED products that deliver greater physiological impacts and improved energy efficiency. 

Foreverlamp has expanded their DLC premium listed LED HB Industrial Series with a new versatile design that features a 75,000 lumen output for 1000W and 750W applications. Foreverlamp’s new HB5 LED High-Bay fixture combines innovative design with a technological breakthrough in reflective materials to create a highly reflective and efficient source that is rated for 100,000 hours with minimal energy consumption at a total of 522 system watts. The exceptionally light weight luminaire weighs only 26 lbs. for ease of installation in high ceiling mounting situations and is available in both a traditional round high bay reflector or a classic high bay housing.  

Introducing a performance of 100 mW, LG Innotek, industrial partner of LASER COMPONENTS, sets new standards for single-chip UVC LEDs. The manufacturer states that this development is two years ahead of current industry forecasts. So far, experts had assumed that similar output powers would not be achieved until 2020.

Over years, NEPCON JAPAN has been gaining popularity under the organization of Reed Exhibitions Japan. There are 2,480 exhibitors from 34 countries at 2018’s show, with a 10% increase compared with the number in 2017, according to Yuhi Maezono, Show Director of Reed Exhibitions Japan. “The show will keep upscaling for 2019,” said Maezono.

Ketra, a LED lighting manufacturer with the highest quality, most accurate Natural Light, has announced its capability to integrate with Amazon Alexa and plans to integrate with Google Home in February. The news builds on Ketra's recent announcement of integration capability with Crestron and Lutron control systems, making it the first architectural-grade lighting system complete with lamps, controls, and software to enter the smart home market.

LG Innotek today announced that it had succeeded in developing an 'advanced flip chip LED package' that demonstrates high efficiency and high luminous flux without deteriorating performance even after it gets through 300℃ soldering process.

With more complicated functions rolling out, future cars are programmed to be safer, more electric, automatic, and digitalized. This year, 1063 Japanese manufacturers and 242 foreign companies participate in NEPCON JAPAN. The number of exhibitors has hit a new high, compared with previous years. At the exhibition, many LED component makers show their ambition to enter the automotive market.

LG Electronics (LG) was honored with more than 90 awards at CES 2018, led by the Official CES Best TV Product Award (presented by Engadget) for the fourth consecutive year, this time for the new LG AI OLED TV (model C8). LG also earned numerous best-of-show honors for the LG InstaView ThinQ Refrigerator and LG 4K UHD Projector.

On January 15th, Shanghai Wellmax Lighting Industry (WELLMAX) signed a strategic partnership agreement with Jiangsu Prajna Electronic Industry (BORE) in Shanghai. As Epistar’s long-term partner, BORE’s collaboration with WELLMAX mainly focuses on the development of LED filament bulbs.

Cree, Inc. Announces 2018 Second Quarter Earnings Release Webcast

Walmart announced results of an extensive lighting program with Current, powered by GE at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show. As part of an ongoing commitment to energy efficiency, Walmart has now installed more than 1.5 million LED (light emitting diode) fixtures across more than 6,000 stores, parking lots, distribution centers and corporate offices in ten countries.

Burton Lighting, the premier LED lighting company, has announced the release of their debut product, The Burton Bulb. This Neo-vintage, Edison style LED bulb features high-quality light and a design that surpasses the competition. 

LITE-ON Technology reported December consolidated revenue of NT$18.02 billion, decreased 3% M-o-M and 16% Y-o-Y. Cumulative sales for the entire year of 2017 reached NT$ 214.57 billion supported by stable end-demand from core businesses.

NEPCON JAPAN 2018, the largest exposition for electronics manufacturing and R&D technologies in Asia, started today (January 17, 2018) at Tokyo Big Sight. The three-day show has grown larger with approximately 2,600 Japanese and overseas exhibitors presenting their advancements in both the East and West Exhibition Halls this year. The number of attendees is anticipated to hit 127,000. The show is ready to witness Asia’s first large-scale dialogue between tech companies in 2018.  

GB Energie LED announced it has signed a partnership agreement with IMPACT Construction, LLC, a minority-owned construction company located in the Virgin Islands that provides start-to-finish solutions for building and remodeling projects.

FastLed performed the light planning for the various requirements in reception, in the open space with the sports equipment, the teaching studios and the spa and beauty area, and implemented the lighting concept. All those involved were impressed by the offer from Tridonic as the ideal holistic solution from modules and drivers to decentralised, intelligent lighting management.

Micro LED is an enticing display technology considerably future-proof yet hard to fully realize. All already-known challenges are basically induced by three key factors: the size, material, and number of LED chips. The industry refers to a LED chip as a Micro LED chip when its size is below 100μm—almost as tiny as the diameter of human hair. Different colors of Micro LEDs are made with different materials. Some companies attempt to develop a solution for chips of all colors, while the others invent several approaches to transfer, bond, and drive Micro LEDs produced with different compounds. What about the Number of Micro LEDs used for a display, let’s say, a TV, for example? It’s going to be single- to double-digit millions of them.

Human Centric Lighting will be the next major area of opportunity for the global lighting and building design industries now that energy saving is regarded as ubiquitous, according to lighting technology specialist amBX.