Smart Floors Have Arrived
Technical Interiors
We’ve all heard of
“smart appliances” and “smart televisions”, but what about “smart floors”?
A German company has pioneered the innovative use of LED glass panels
for sports flooring, focusing specifically on tennis, basketball, squash and
badminton courts. The LED lights are used to illuminate the boundary lines on
the court, and can be switched on and off using a touch screen. This is
particularly useful for schools and sports centres, since the lines can be
changed instantly, depending on which sport is being played.
Specifications
The glass floor in
question consists of 160 panels that are coated with a special ceramic print –
this ensures that the tiles are durable, skid-resistant and shock-absorbent.
There are channels running underneath the glass floor for the white and
coloured LED lights, and the entire structure is supported by an aluminium
framework.
The company also conducted
numerous bounce tests, to ensure that the glass panels perfectly mimicked
traditional wood basketball courts – they made sure that the ball bounced the
to the same height on both kinds of flooring. The glass panels were also dulled
to ensure they were not too reflective or distracting – they are currently
about as shiny as a standard marble surface.
Future
Implications
The development of LED
technology means that team and sponsor logos could be projected directly from
the playing surface. In addition, the panels could be used to detect exactly
where the ball lands, to eliminate the need for replay technology and
accurately resolve disputes over the ball being out of play or not. The panels
can also be used to detect the exact position of the player’s feet.
Indeed, this kind of
flooring has great potential. It can be used both inside and outside, and can
be used by corporate spaces, hotels and retail establishments for advertising
purposes, reducing the need for billboards or posters – a much more sustainable
method of promoting brands and products.
Light Up the
Dance Floor
LED lights have been
used in club dance floors for the past few years. These glass tiles can light
up in different colours, or change colours based on touch (i.e. when someone
stands on them). They can also be used to create various visual effects and
flash sequences, which add to the disco/club ambience.
Visual floors could also
be incredibly useful in large centres where people have a propensity to get
lost! Imagine having floor arrows to guide you to your destination. The
possibilities are endless, and only time will tell how we incorporate LED
floors into everyday life.
Author Bio:
Grace
Matthews is a London-based lifestyle blogger who swears by steam cleaners to disinfect and clean her carpets
after her gorgeous animals have rolled all over them.
