LEDUBE LED Lego-like building blocks

If you had as many Legos as I did when you were a kid, and you love LED lighting as much as I do, the LEDUBE from Sankoflex should satisfy you to no end. We came across these at the Japan Shop Expo last month and got a peek at how they work as well.

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LEDUBEs are LED cubes that can be stacked on each other to create any shape that you desire, including massive structures such as the display booth Sankoflex was using at the expo. Each cube can create 2.1 million colors and, while working together, display amazing moving graphics and video.

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All of the content is created on a PC with software, and then loaded into the system with an SD card. Quite simple for the effect produced, but the LEDUBE don’t come cheap either. While they aren’t available for sale yet, the entire display system shown here costs about $4,800 per day, plus $2,400 in programming costs.

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Be sure to check out the LEDUBE homepage to get more info. In general we came across a great deal of very innovative LED lighting solutions for both home and retail, from floor displays that play video to incredibly thin tiles that can be used in walls. Japan has always been ahead in LEDs, but there’s a lot going on right now that will change the way we light all of our spaces.

UPDATE 5/14/2008 Here’s a new video of them being constructed. Prettty amazing stuff.

About the Author

Michael is CEO and Co-Founder of the CScout Japan trends and innovation consultancy. For information on market research in Japan and Asia, or how Japanese innovation can help your business, please visit CScout Japan to find our range of services.