Did you manage to get tickets for Coldplay? Last month almost 700,000 people were in a digital queue to get tickets for their concert series in the Amsterdam Arena. I myself saw them perform in Brussels at the beginning of August, together with my colleague Ton van den Nouweland. It was a great evening. Not just because of the music, but also because of everything around it.
Climate-neutral and renewable energy
Just to give you an idea, the fans were generating their own energy by means of a kinetic field that was placed on the floor. There were bicycles for fans to use to generate electricity for the concert. On top of that there was the stage which was made from bamboo and recycled steel, confetti made from a biodegradable material and reusable cups with a deposit for beer and soft drinks, etc, etc.
Remote controlled LED lighting
Before the concert, we were all given a wristband which we were asked to wear. Each wristband contained seven different coloured LEDs that could be controlled remotely via integrated RF antennae. The different colours of the wristband LEDs could even be switched on and off per stadium section and set to a specific colour.
Just imagine it - it is dark in the stadium. The band starts playing 'Sky Full of Stars' and suddenly 55,000 wristbands light up and start flashing in different colours. See the video below for the effect this produces!
Xyloband
It turns out that the wristband is called a Xyloband and was invented by Jason Regler during a Coldplay concert. He filed an international patent application WO-2013/021209 with the title "Interactive lighting effect wristband & integrated antenna" and Coldplay was given the exclusive rights to use them for their tours in return for a licence fee.
What does this have to do with horticulture?
I hear you think: "Yes, it's nice that you got a wristband with lights at Coldplay Rudi, but what does this have to do with horticulture?" Let me explain. Perhaps the Xyloband can inspire you to take a creative look at how else you could possibly use LED lighting in a greenhouse. More and more growers are switching to LED lighting. It helps save energy and also makes it possible to set specific light frequencies that are optimal for that particular crop. But what if you were able to control the light frequency and intensity of these LED lights separately for each specific location in the greenhouse or even depending on the growth stage of the plant located there?
And if you get the chance, be sure to go to a Coldplay concert. Allow yourself to be surprised and inspired by the technology, the lighting and, of course, above all enjoy the music.
