Rensselaer doctoral graduate and LESA researcher wins 2019 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Manufacturing Innovator Challenge competition. The Manufacturing Innovator Challenge competition is a new contest launched by the DOE last October and Deagen is the first recipient for his submission entitled, “Layer-by-Layer Stamping for Developing Next-Generation Optical Waveguides.” (more…)
Dr. George “Bud” Brainard with colleagues from Thomas Jefferson University explore how the color, intensity, and distribution of light can now be controlled with unprecedented precision, enabling light to be used both as a signal for specific physiological responses in humans and plants and as an efficient fuel for fresh food production in recent article in Nature Magazine. To learn more, click here.
Time of Flight (ToF) sensing uses the speed of light to measure distance. It plays an essential role in technologies ranging from safe, autonomous self-driving cars to smart phones with facial recognition capabilities. The LESA Center has pioneered and patented (US9,363,859) the use of lighting-based ToF for privacy preserving indoor occupant position measurement. LESA’s precise pattern recognition methodology led to the development of extremely robust and proprietary algorithms that enable its ToF sensors to detect and respond to changes in occupancy instantly.
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The LESA Center has pioneered and patented the use of lighting-based ToF for privacy preserving indoor occupant position measurement. LESA’s precise pattern recognition methodology led to the development of extremely robust algorithms that enable its ToF sensors to detect and respond to changes in occupancy instantly as part of a $2.7M Department of Energy (DOE) ARPA-E award to develop new, cost effective occupancy sensing ToF integrated circuits. LESA has now successfully designed and tested compact, low-cost ToF “pod” sensors for localized occupant counting and tracking. The pod sensors use an array of 9 state-of-the-art, single pixel ToF sensors to cover a wide area. They detect the movement and height of objects in their wide field of view allowing people to move around freely and securely without sacrificing their privacy.
LESA’s ToF pod sensors would enable any building to locate its occupants at any given time without revealing a person’s identity or activity, make real-time adjustments to building services, and send alerts for discrepancies. In an elder care setting, the building could know if someone had fallen or wandered off. During an emergency, a hotel might be able to alert emergency responders of exactly how many people evacuated and how many remained behind.
While still in final development, LESA has shown that its goal of creating a miniature ToF pod sensor that can be commercialized for a marginal cost for the private sector is viable. In the interim, LESA is eager to engage with potential beta-test users to gather feedback on system design and performance, as well as technology transfer and commercialization strategies. LESA ToF pods may also be useful to researchers and applications specialists interested in applying ToF concepts to their own fields. For more information on the pod sensors, or to become a LESA member, visit the Center website or contact Leah Scott at scottl2@rpi.edu or 518-276-4010.
Dr. Tessa Pocock shares insights on plant science possibilities with light in a recent podcast from the Illuminating Engineering Society. To listen, click here.
Dr. Hanifin from Thomas Jefferson University published for his work on randomized trial of polychromatic blue-enriched light for circadian phase shifting, melatonin suppression, and alerting responses. To learn more, click here.
Dr. Tessa Pocock and Dr. Matthew Urschel published in agronomy 2018 special issue ‘Sensing and Automated Systems for Improved Crop Management’ with an article entitled, “Remote Detection of Growth Dynamics in Red Lettuce Using a Novel Chlorophyll a Fluorometer”. To learn more, click here.
(TROY, NY) LESA researchers have found that by simply measuring reflected light in a building, it is possible to estimate solar heat gain from daylight. (more…)
LESA Director Dr. Robert Karlicek presented on Urban Ecotones and Center Researcher Dr. Shayla Sawyer presented on the Jefferson Project. To watch the talk, click here.
LESA Director Dr. Robert Karlicek featured in Ian Ashdown article, “The Science of Near-Infrared Lighting: Fact or Fiction” published by IES. To read the article, click here.
