Fudan scientists invent revolutionary lighting device

A natural lighting device that illuminates rooms with daylight instead of electricity will make a debut at the China International Industry Fair to be held November 1-5, the city's education authority said today as it introduced innovations made by local universities.

Unlike solar panels which convert sunlight into electricity to power light bulbs, the new lighting device developed by Fudan University scientists can transmit daylight straight into rooms.

The solar panel has a sunlight conversion rate of just 18 percent and much energy is lost in transfer process, said Ge Aiming of Fudan University's Department of Illuminating Engineering and Light Sources.

The new lighting device can achieve a utilization rate of up to 80 percent, Ge said.

The device consists of a parabolic mirror and a reflector installed outdoors to collect sunlight and conduct it into the house via a light pipe. The secrets lie in the coupling of the light collector and transmitter and in the light storage system, Ge said.

Other innovations highlighted by the education authority included an intelligent helmet developed by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, which can detect driver fatigue, and a degradable material developed by East China University of Science and Technology to replace plastics.


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