Play with LEDs
LEDs are energy efficient, long lived lights that can be used for hundred if not thousands of uses. This lens is all about the lighter side of LEDs, building creative projects using these great little lights.
Why My Interest in LEDs
I've been thinking for some time how cool it would be to be able to light my sculptures in creative ways. Because of their longevity and low power usage LEDs (light emitting diodes) seemed like the best bet.Finally I've gotten some LEDs and I'm in the process of learning a bit more about how to work with them. My experience level in this is basically a couple middle school science projects concerning electricity and setting up a simple circuit. This should be an interesting experience.
My plan is to put LEDs into my Selkie Emerging sculpture to look like water reflecting up onto her body as she rising out of the water.
What are LEDs?
A light-emitting diode (LED) (, or just ), is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices, and are increasingly used for lighting. Introduced as a practical electronic component in 1962, early LEDs emitted low-intensity red light, but modern versions are available across the visible, ultraviolet and infra red wavelengths, with very high brightness.
The LED is based on the semiconductor diode. When a diode is forward biased (switched on), electrons are able to recombine with holes within the device, releasing energy in the form of photons. This effect is called electroluminescence and the color of the light (corresponding to the energy of the photon) is determined by the energy gap of the semiconductor. An LED is usually small in area (less than 1 mm2), and integrated optical components are used to shape its radiation pattern and assist in reflection.
LEDs present many advantages over incandescent light sources including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, improved robustness, smaller size, faster switching, and greater durability and reliance. However, they are relatively expensive and require more precise current and heat management than traditional light sources. Current LED products for general lighting are more expensive to buy than fluorescent lamp sources of comparable output.
They also enjoy use in applications as diverse as replacements for traditional light sources in automotive lighting (particularly indicators) and in traffic signals. The compact size of LEDs has allowed new text and video displays and sensors to be developed, while their high switching rates are useful in advanced communications technology.
LED Basics
- LEDs for Beginners - Instructables - DIY, How To, tech - Entry
- This instructable shows how to wire up one or more LEDs in a in a basic and clear way. Never done any work before with LEDs and don't know how to use them?
- Learn Basic Soldering
- If you are working with wiring you'll probably need to solder at some point.
- LED center » LED basics
- LED basics
- Simple LED Circuits Design with LED Driver Circuit
- Learn about LED circuits, simple LED circuits, and LED driver circuit
- LED Circuitry tutorial: how to hook up LEDs.
- LED Circuitry tutorial: how to hook up LEDs. Text and illustrated instructions for setting up a circuit, what is series and parallel
circuits, how to determine resistors. - 'Random' Flasher for 8 LEDs Project
- The Electronics Club
Books with Easy Electrical Projects
Learn the basics by building cool stuff.
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byLED Projects
- Led Bonsai Tree.
- It seemed such a good idea to create a little wire tree with LED flowers... Unfortunately when I did the maths it transpired that it would require 128 tiny PCB's with 2816 hand drilled 1mm holes stuffed with 1152 LED's and 256 resistors, then wired with about 200m of solid core cable twisted painstakingly together then powered from a beefy 4A DC power supply.
- Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories - Make A Cylon Jack-O-Lantern
- For halloween this year, we made Cylon Jack-o-lanterns in both large and small versions. The design consists of two parts, a pumpkin-carving part and an electronics part. The big idea, of course, is to make the Cylon's red eye scan back and forth.
- Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories - Paper Circuitry at Home: Electric Origami
- This little LED-lit cube is much more than just a paper lantern: It's a translucent and flexible thin-film electronic circuit that hooks up a battery to an LED, limber enough to be folded into an origami box. And the coolest thing about circuits like these? You can make them at home.
- Soft-circuit LED Bracelet - Instructables - DIY, How To, tech, craft - Entry
- Do you like crafting or sewing? Do you love LEDs? Well, why not combine your passions with this 'wire-free' LED bracelet!Here's a quick and relative...
- Cool LED Night Light - Instructables - DIY, How To, home, tech - Entry
- This is a simple yet effective little night-light is loosely based on the Solar LED Light Jar.It took me about an hour to make and works great when ...
- Fireflies - Analog version... - Instructables - DIY, How To, art - Entry
- Or, How to randomly flash 8 LEDsOK. I'll admit that the fireflies in a jar thing has been done already. The difference here will be that this versio...
LEDs for You
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byArtists Using LEDs
- James Clar & Associates - we do what we do
- James Clar, interactive lighting designer and installation artist from New York and Tokyo.James Clar received his Masters from New York University's Interactive Telecommunication's Program concentrating on information display. Blending art theory and design, James' innovative objects and installatio
- Welcome To Catarina's Neon Art and Metal Site led sculpture modern light
- cat Catarina l.e.d. sculpture neon metal art modern metallic light illuminated new cutting edge art-work commission
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- harry harry Nov 22, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
- thanks
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- Sep 15, 2009 @ 10:30 am
- ENJOYED YOUR LENS VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU,
Chandelier
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- Noadi Noadi Aug 18, 2009 @ 4:42 pm | in reply to John J. Farias
- Search online for "flexible LED tube", there are several places online you can buy them. They come in multiple dimensions, some that I was looking at come equipped with standard electrical plugs. You could wire them onto your sculpture or maybe glue them with something that flexes like silicone, then run a small extension cord is the one on the strip isn't long enough. Hope that helps.
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- John J. Farias John J. Farias Aug 18, 2009 @ 3:56 pm
- Hello,
I would like to use some different colored LED lights to place behind my metal wall art sculptures. Do the lights come in small round flexible tubes? What are the dimensions and where can I purchase them. Does anyone know how to attach them to the backs of my metal wall sculpture and how do you turn them on?
Thanks for all your help.
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- AppalachianCountry AppalachianCountry Aug 18, 2009 @ 7:51 am
- Great lens. The idea of using LED in art is awesome. Thank-you for the info and tip.
5 stars*****
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