Introduction
In the retail domain there is a strong need for easy ways to change the atmosphere in shops. Lighting is an important aspect of these atmospheres. Faced with choosing a color, for example, people find it difficult to describe the color in abstract terms. As a result, they typically search for a reference color in their immediate surrounding that matches what they want. Philips Research and Miplaza developed an innovative color scanning and pointing device called the LightWand.

Requirements
The challenge was to build an easy to use and good looking device for picking up colors from textiles. To select a color, the user simply points the wand at an appropriate colored light or touches a suitable colored object with it. To paint this color into a display area, simply point the wand to the appropriate luminaires! This way it’s possible to change the lighting atmosphere in a way that best fits the clothing.

Technical
The light wand is always in a stand-by mode and when touched it turns on and can be operated. The device can pick up a color due to a special sensor in combination with a micro controller. This color is then adjusted and processed. With the modified laser in the wand, a luminaire can be selected which communicates with the LightWand using a wireless protocol and will take any color that is selected with the wand.

Realisation
Miplaza turned the customers concept into a real product and manufactured the first prototypes. After extensive tests in the ShopLab, also with end-user studies, an improved version of the light wand is produced.