Lighting in Design Q1 2024

N ew s

Soweto Theatre invests in ESPRITE moving lights

of R obe lights, which included the L E D W ash 3 0 0 and 6 0 0 E spotlights that had moving functionality. The system had LEDBeam 150s lights fitted later. T he Soweto T heatre’s G eneral M anager, V incent M otau, says, “ O ur venue is constantly im proving its technology to broaden the horiz ons of an artist’s creativity while also limiting the problems that they might encounter. As a result, our theatre practitioners now have more time to contemplate and ex pand their creativity. R obe is the recognised leader in moving light technology, and we believe that our new setup is going to be a game-changer in more ways than one. ”

T he famous Soweto T heatre has given its lighting department an overhaul, introducing 1 2 new R obe E SP R IT E moving lights to its technical line-up, says DWR, the official importer and distributor of R obe lights. “ T hese lights are incredible, and they allow us to work both in- and outside the theatre, ” ex plains the venue’s technical manager, L ebu gang M nisi. “ T his is a huge leap forward from the previous setup. N ow we can literally light up the stage and give our productions incredible lighting abilities, which in the past was not available. ” T he R obe E SP R IT E luminaires are fast-chang ing, low-cost transferable light engines that allow for a higher brightness level of white source L E D s. “ In a play, the lighting is as important as

Source: www.dwrdistribution.co.za

the performers, ” says M nisi, “ so this new technology, at least new for us, is going to mak e a massive change. O ur plays are going to be that much brighter and lighter. ” T he theatre can hold up to 1 0 0 0 0 audience members, with M nisi saying, “ T hese E SP R IT E lights are going to allow us to broaden our imaginations with all their features so we can really push the boundaries of what is possible to evok e with lights and lighting. W hen you see what the lights are capable of when it comes to the settings and performance, not to mention the movement and being able to program them to seq uences, you will only then appreciate how good they really are. ” T he theatre had an ex isting setup

Satellite images help monitor LED pollution

diodes ( L E D s) has inadvertently given rise to a new challenge – blue light pollution and its associated adverse effects.”Chinese scientists are now using the Sustainable D evelopment Science Satellite-1 to monitor and to some ex tent control the impact of this light pollution. “An approach that leverages the satellite’s multispectral and high-resolution capa bilities to rapidly, accurately and comprehensively discriminate between various illumination sources was recently unveiled, ” says J ia. “ Scientists took Beij ing as an ex ample, and found that this approach is highly effective in distinguishing various types of light sources, boasting an overall accuracy of 9 2 % for ALAN and an impressive 95% for streetlights.” Analysis of the ultra-high resolution images pro vided scientists with data to discern clear patterns in the city, giving them valuable information about how LED lights are affecting people and the city. Image via: International J ournal of D igital E arth ( 2 0 2 3 ) D O I: 1 0 . 1 0 8 0 / 1 7 5 3 8 9 4 7 . 2 0 2 3 . 2 2 9 7 0 1 3

Journalist Liu Jia from the Chinese Academy of Sciences reveals that L E D light pollution is not only a serious problem that needs to be managed, but that satellites are now able to help with that light management. W riting for science website www. phys. org, J ia says, “ T he widespread transition from artificial light at night (ALAN) to light-emitting

Source: www.phys.org

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