Glowing Tiles

[Electrix]

I have a requirement to light up a floor tile when the user steps on the tile (kind of like...sense the person & light up the tile on which the person is standing). The tile dimension is approx 18-20 inches square. There are about 25 such tiles in a 5x5 grid and they are placed in a room with ambient light. I need to have a colored lamp (red/green..whatever)

So I'm searching around for the right type of tiles & lamps. I have 3 major constraints right now:

1. Lamps should be cheap (around 10 USD)
2. Lamps should have good response time - they should turn sufficiently bright quickly (under a second would be great)
3. They should be durable -(they application demands they the light will be toggled many times in a minute)
Also they should be easy to order (I'm in the US)

I shall be controlling the Lamps with a controller. I can connect a 'Lamp Driver' in between that can deliver high current from the AC Supply Mains/12 V Step Down.

Could somebody suggest what type of lamps/LEDs could fit the bill ?

Also, if anybody has experience with semi-transparent tiles that allow light to pass...I would be happy to receive suggestions.

Thanks !

Electrix

 

[mneary]

More than one lamp under each tile? Or is a given tile always the same color?

I would consider MR-16 lamps (HALOGEN LAMP AND MOUNTING FRAME | AllElectronics.com) with gel filters (**broken link removed**).

 

[Hero999]

I would think LEDs are probably best but being limited to $10 might rule them out. I think LEDS will save money in the long run because they use less energy and won't need to be replaced.

How thick is the tile allowed to be?

 

[Electrix]

More than one lamp under each tile? Or is a given tile always the same color?

I would consider MR-16 lamps (HALOGEN LAMP AND MOUNTING FRAME | AllElectronics.com) with gel filters (**broken link removed**).

A tile is always lit with the same color. In fact all the tiles should be lit with the same one color(each tile has its own lamp..so at a specific time, some tiles are lit while others are not). So essentially a single color lamp/LED.

 

[Electrix]

I would think LEDs are probably best but being limited to $10 might rule them out. I think LEDS will save money in the long run because they use less energy and won't need to be replaced.

How thick is the tile allowed to be?

Thickness of the tile is something that I've not considered yet. I mean, the idea is the light should pass through the tile, when I keep the light source underneath the tile. The constraint is 10 USD per tile...how much do you think the LEDs would cost ? (I'm assuming you're talking of a LED strip of some sort)

 

[Hero999]

It depends on how bright it needs to be?

A single 1W LED might be enough but you might need something brighter.

My local supplier sells red, amber, green, blue and white 1W power LEDs.

**broken link removed**

You could connect three in series and power them from a cheap switched mode constant current source.

Buying in bulk is also cheaper.

 

[Ubergeek63]

A tile is always lit with the same color. In fact all the tiles should be lit with the same one color(each tile has its own lamp..so at a specific time, some tiles are lit while others are not). So essentially a single color lamp/LED.

does it have to be uniform? that is more difficult to do.

also do you know how you are going to know when someone is stepping on your stones? (sorry bad song reference)

and what is your power source?

**broken link removed**
**broken link removed**
**broken link removed**

$8/lamp

dan

 

[Electrix]

does it have to be uniform? that is more difficult to do.

also do you know how you are going to know when someone is stepping on your stones? (sorry bad song reference)

and what is your power source?

**broken link removed**
**broken link removed**
**broken link removed**

$8/lamp

dan

Yeah..should be more or less uniform...in terms of brightness & color (though part to part variation in brightness/color is not going to kill the requirement)

For sensing, I'm looking at contact switches, conductive foam, pressure sensors and maybe even IR-Photo modules. Yet to zero in.

Primary power source: AC Mains 120V/60Hz...will definitely have a transformer,rectifier,regulator for my controller.

 

[Ubergeek63]

Yeah..should be more or less uniform...in terms of brightness & color (though part to part variation in brightness/color is not going to kill the requirement)

For sensing, I'm looking at contact switches, conductive foam, pressure sensors and maybe even IR-Photo modules. Yet to zero in.

Primary power source: AC Mains 120V/60Hz...will definitely have a transformer,rectifier,regulator for my controller.

ok... well that is a readily available source to get 150Lm and still $8/lamp with the AC driver. I suspect the driver will come up pretty quick as well.