LED-studded carpets to replace conventional signage?
Philips has teamed up with Dutch carpet maker Desso to develop a giant led-studded carpet that can transform any floor into a vivid display.
The secret behind the new technology, according to Desso's Ludwig Cammaert, was to engineer a carpet backing that could transmit light.
Instead of the usual opaque, rubbery resin, Cammaert and his team built a translucent plastic backing that can stand up to heavy wear and tear. This was then laid on top of a 10mm thick steel screen studded with leds.
The technology is expected to find use in shops, theatres and hotels.
"At airports, arrows could also point passengers toward their departure gate," said Ed Huibers of Philips. "Architects are looking into other interesting applications now, too – such as placing QR codes on the floor."
Once it launches, the carpet will be available in a number of different colours, shapes and sizes.
You can view the technology in action in the video below.
