MIT Develops Adaptive Lighting System That Could Reduce Lighting Bills

Energy consumption is a hot topic nowadays and now a new system developed by the smart folks over at MIT might have the potential to slash lighting bills by more than half. The experimental system features devices that are about the size of a business card that can be placed on the desktop. The device contains light sensors to monitor the light falling on the user’s workspace, along with controls to adjust the intensity and the color balance of the light. The device is also capable of identifying how much light comes from different fixtures while also measuring ambient light coming in the windows or spilling over from neighboring work areas. This means that the overhead lights can automatically dim or switch off altogether, depending on how much sunlight the room is getting and automatically brightening the lights when clouds block out the sun.