Developed by University of Cambridge researchers, the quantum dots are formed from tiny semiconductors just a few billionths of a metre in size and were created using a combination of nanotechnology, colour science, advanced computational methods, electronics and a unique fabrication process.
The team found that by using more than the three primary lighting colours, the system used in typical LEDs, they were able to reproduce daylight more accurately.
Early tests of the new design showed excellent colour rendering, a wider operating range than current smart lighting technology, and wider spectrum of white light customisation.
With the amount of ambient light often connected with wellbeing, the widespread availability of smart lighting systems can have a positive effect on human health, since these systems can respond to individual mood.
Smart lighting can also respond to circadian rhythms, which regulate the daily sleep-wake cycle, so that light is reddish...