LED lights can be found in everything from consumer electronics to toys and from power tools to automobiles. Early on, LED lights showed up in new products as sort of an additional flare to equipment – indicator lights on coffee makers and glowing eyes in battery operated toys. But as scientists started to harness the technology and improve upon it, they realized there were some staggering benefits LED lights had over traditional lights. The strength and brightness of these lights started to lend themselves for use in other applications. It became evident that certain products would be much improved upon with the addition of an LED bulb.

L.E.D. stands for light-emitting diode. In this technology, light is created when the semiconductor diode inside the bulb is forward biased, or, turned on; electrons recombine with holes in the diode to release energy in the form of light. The color of the light is determined by the semiconductor's energy gap. Using this type of science makes these bulbs more energy efficient, longer-lasting, smaller, and more durable than other lights.

These high-powered LEDs (HPLEDs) are become a major competitor to incandescent, fluorescent, and halogen bulbs in lamps and flashlights. For many applications, the LED bulb simply is the better solution.

HPLEDs are being used in flashlights and search lights to better aid police and fire crews when searching for criminals or victims of major disasters. The bright, narrow beams allow police and fire fighters to search from a greater distance, and the durability of the HPLED bulbs fit the type of demanding activity these occupations require.

HPLED lanterns are replacing gas and filament-bulb lanterns as the new standard in hiking, camping, and cave exploration. Because HPLED bulbs can last thousands of hours and utilize very little batteries, they are great additions to survival kits. Additionally, LED bulbs are very small and therefore the flashlights and other forms they take are also small and can be light-weight for easy packing and storing.

Many television manufacturers are playing around with LED lights as the next generation light source for video displays and flat-panel televisions. Sony was the first to come out with an organic LED display last year. LEDs allow TV makers to create low-energy consumption TVs with bright, solid pictures. LEDs don't put off as much heat as other bulbs which means, TVs can be made to not get above a certain temperature, avoiding the need for major fans and heat sinks.

LEDs and HPLEDs are being used consistently for stage and arena lighting because they can display so many different colors in such incredible brightness. Many of the buildings and events at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, for example, perfectly showcased the power and beauty of LED lights. These lights can easily be programmed to fade and contrast creating fast or slow moving visual effects. The small size of the bulbs helps light designers create much more intricate images than possible with traditional fluorescents as well.

From concerts to crime fighting, LEDs are changing the way we think about light sources and light design.

Ben Nystrom, 2009