Thoughts on a new flashlight product?

[ab1ht]

I work in the Lighting division of a pretty big glass company. Part of my division's job is to think of new lighting products. Our forte is in the LED area. Examples: Boroscopes for industrial inspection and high-end lights for first class airline seats.

I've alluded to flashlight topics with my boss in conversation, but he's always dismissed flashlights as "commodity items" that a million other companies make and he says it doesn't make sense to try to work in that market.

Since my flashoholic gene has been activated by coming to this site, I tend to disagree with him to some extent. I think that if there were a real need in some niche industry for a high-end flashlight with unique properties, we might be able to fill that need. Kind of like Surefire filling the need for top-notch gun lights.

So I ask the experts: Is there a need out there?

 

[mknewman]

Take it and run with it on your own. Don't mention it at work.

 

[ab1ht]

Yeah, but who's going to pay the thousands of dollars for the prototypes? Maybe I can just throw it in with a bunch of other PO's and label it "General R&D"

Besides, I need an idea for a niche prototype.

 

[Vinniec5]

How about a flashlight that atttaches to a Motorola police radio mic. i know of one company that makes a camera attachment (right this sec the name escapes me) A quality light that shines down/forward when the mic is worn on the shoulder and uses its own battery, primary or rechargables would leave hands free. Just an idea but not an off the wall one

 

[Chrontius]

How about a headpiece - and I know I've seen this in movies - for said Motorola police radios that contains a camera and flashlight and boom mic?

They get used in speculative fiction because they're a good idea, and nobody needs to be actually producing them for the SFX team to make them seem to work.

How about a replacement grip for the Kel-Tec handguns with an LED and/or laser cast into the polymer frame? The grip-frame is distinct from the receiver, which is the serialized part that's legally considered a gun. I've been wanting something like that for, like, ever.

Can you embed LEDs in contact lenses? Six little bitty LEDs around the edge like Basshunter's banner using this technology would be incredibly cool looking. Make it harvest ambient RF energy from cell phone towers?

Regarding the traditional flashlights, why not something like a Mule that can be sold at Wal-Mart? There's nothing else quite like that on the market, prompting my World's Cheapest Mule Mod.

How about a 2xAA thing using side-by-side batteries for pocketability? 3xAA would even work pretty well, if you didn't use a battery carrier; that would be unnecessary bulk. 3xAA Eneloop and a P7 or some similar LED would be a real flamethrower. Might even be able to get away with an LDO regulator on that. 3xAA, a P7, and a (possibly induction) charger for a pocket duty light?

What about a 6xAA flashlight? Three columns of two and a high-pressure xenon bulb. Maybe a little self-serving, but I like my ROP quite a lot.

 

[Ken_McE]

I don't know if anyone makes a high quality adjustable spectrum UV light. Would potentially be handy for technical markets, arson & crime scene investigation, etc. The adjustable part would mean that you could choose your own wavelength or combination of wavelengths in the field with good precision.

 

[Benson]

6 months ago, I'd have suggested that there was no general lineup of production flashaholic-oriented lights. (Yeah, that's not an industry...)But 4 Sevens has already taken that niche. Not that I wouldn't welcome competion, but I think it'd be real hard for a newcomer to succeed there.

So a couple ideas involving battery options scarce or absent in production lights:

• 3C light with 12V buck driver - runs unregulated from 3x C cells, or regulated from 2x26700 or 3x26500. Good as a truck light, etc.
• Mid-EDCs - dedicated 17500/18500 and 14670 lights, for those of us with big enough hands and pockets to dislike CR123/AA lights, but not needing the runtime of an 18650.

Bonus points on either design for mechanical compatibility with appropriate flashlights for aftermarket heads, drivers, etc.

 

[ab1ht]

Thanks, these are all interesting ideas.

I especially like the adjustable spectrum UV light. That's the kind of unique high-end product that would make a lot of money. :thumbsup:

 

[bluepilgrim]

Affordable adjustable, calibrated strobe flashlights, with external trigger input capability, like for timing motors, might be good to look into. The only ones I've seen are too expensive for most people for 'backyard mechanics' use.

 

[Lighthouse one]

Medical field!! I was just in for an exam...boy do the lights look expensive! They could use a high quality ...powerful LED light that has no reflector or lens. This would be for close up inspection of the skin...without any flashback that you get with a normal light. ( I actually hand make such a light- and have given one to a doctor in a VA hospital to try out. ) Mine are cheap...make a good one!
I also use this light for repair work on printers and copiers...I call it an inspection light. You could make the light with the cree Q3 warm led for medical, and the cree Q 5 for work .

 

[Lighthouse one]

I forgot! The CFL lights are ok...but a good quality LED 60 watt equivalent that's not $60 will make somebody rich!

 

[[email protected]]

Maybe something for fire/EMS/search&rescue(SAR). Very low light for checking pupils yet with a super bright phase for SAR. Incorporate a bright but non strobe 360 blinking light for highway safety/SAR. Technology to cut through smoke (somebody does/did this). Clip for belt attachment that won't break or bend easily but is secure from loss (j hook?) or clips into (rotating?)holster. Reflective coating on body. Blue light option to look for blood without having to install filter. Able to be used with medical and work gloves. Non slip surface. Easily cleaned. Rugged. Possibly 90 degree angle or rotating head for hands free operation, clipped to turnout gear or belt. Add a window punch (like on this rescue knife) and seatbelt/clothing cutter (like this or this but with replaceable razor) for the true geeks.

OK that's a heck of a wish list!

 

[Chrontius]

Lighthouse One, can you give me some detail on that medical light?

 

[Cataract]

I need a flashlight to work on dark machine insides, and here's the points that would need improvement (I also see lots of guys carrying a stupid mag 2AA, likely they don't know better):

It's hard to work with both hands while holding a flashlight + a headlamp doesn't necessarily get the light where I need it because of obstacles: I very often need the light to be aimed precisely around pipes, corners and transfos.
Something that can attach to the wrist or multiple surface types and can be aimed in any direction would be a great plus here. (magnets are not always recommended inside electrical equipment and either are tripods)

The other problem with most lights is that they are either 100% throw or 100% flood: throw = smal hot spot, have to scan around a lot to work.
Flood = I can't see as well in machine further back, since most of the light reflects on whatever is closer to me. I need something that does have a reflector, but also a nice even spot at least 12 inches wide at a distance of 1 to 3 feet. More light is usually better, but neutral works best so far (muuuch better depth perception).

If you could make something that adresses these problems in one portable package and rivals with a mag 2AA you could easily sell it to anyone doing maintenance all around the world. Marketing would be an important key here, as most of these guys are not just blind to the fact that a mag sucks for what they do, but also to the fact that a better light would make their lives so much easier (I barely get any comments when I whip out a 200 lumen light on top of their yellow mag rings and the idiots keep shining their thing around, like they can still see it)

 

[Vinniec5]

Cataract have you thought about a Rechargeable LED automotive droplight? Might be a good pick for you. One of the reasons I still like to use the Justrite 2108-4 4D lightstick its old school but it works. I have one incan and one with a terralux screw-in replacement led in it. Bell-tel used them for ages because they were good.

I like the Discontinued Streamlight Syclones too. 4AA and a good right angle adjustable focus design too. If it had a modern LED in it I think it would be a great little work light. The 4AA base keeps it stable so you can adjust it and its compact enough to carry anywhere

 

[bluepilgrim]

One of the nicest work lights I've seen is the http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10902879
Brinkmann Tuff Max LED Clip Light, 45 Lumens -- with swivel head

It's cheap, but it's built cheap too. A substantial improved version with a similar form factor would be a good product. Maybe something with a magnet, and an adjustable arm to enhance positioning, and a mouthpiece to make it better for holding in the mouth, and a head-band option -- and which could go brighter, and generally better made. It could also come in different sizes -- a little one, and something bigger for more illumination.

The hardest aspect of work lights is getting the light where you want it, at the right angle.

 

[Sub_Umbra]

A while back I had an idea for a highly 'theft resistant' flashlight for use at emergency control panels in industrial, utility and some transportation settings. One of today's high efficiency LEDs could be built into a flashlight powered by a smallish 'super capacitor'. The light would 'live' in a charging socket recessed into the vital control panel itself. There would be some distinct advantages to this approach in some mission critical applications:

1. The light would always be charged.
2. Almost zero PM. The cap would be much less troublesome than any type of cell.
3. If it needed recharging half way through a task it would only take a couple of seconds back in it's socket to return to a fully recharged state.
4. The light would tend to actually be there when needed because the it's charger would be built right into the panel where it was needed -- few would steal a light that takes no batteries and can not be recharged anywhere but it's own socket on a panel at work.

 

[Vinniec5]

Sub Umbra I think the new lights from 5.11 are powered that way 90secs charge and run for a cpl hours