THE NHL SCORES A HAT TRICK WITH COLOR KINETICS, INNOVATIVE ARENA PRODUCTS INC. AND INTELLIGENT LED TECHNOLOGY
Companies' Products Add a Hit of Color Changing Lighting Excitement on the Boards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 2002 NHL All-Star Game
BOSTON - January 29, 2002 - When Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros, Jaromir Jagr, Dominik Hasek and the rest of the NHL All-Star players step onto the ice at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the 52nd NHL All-Star Game on Saturday, the crowd will have more to cheer about than their favorite player. Two pioneering companies have teamed up to add a dash of color changing lighting fun to the boards on either side of the players' entrance to the ice. Color Kinetics, the Boston-based pioneer of patented Chromacore® intelligent LED-based illumination technology, and Innovative Arena Products Inc., the makers of the patent-pending ClearVision shield support system used at the Staples Center, have partnered to add special color changing lighting effects to eight of the supports on the rink's boards. The 2002 NHL All-Star Game will be held on Saturday, February 2, at 3 p.m. EST (televised on ABC, CBC and SRC).
On Saturday, when the All-Star players are introduced onto the ice, the supports in the ClearVision shield support system on either side of the player entrance will light up with a variety of colors: team colors; red, white and blue during the national anthem; and a special combination of colors between periods. These unique colored light shows are made possible through Color Kinetics' digital lighting technology, a simple and distinctive way to incorporate colored light into any environment - even the shield supports of a hockey rink. For the All-Star game, Color Kinetics compact LED fixtures will be installed in the dashers under the ClearVision supports. The fixtures will play custom light shows, which are created on a PC using Color Kinetics® ColorPlay® light show authoring software and played back with the simple push of a button in the control booth via Color Kinetics' compact iPlayer® 2 light show storage and playback device. Simply inserting thin strips of Optical Light Film and Light Enhancement Film manufactured by 3M into the supports allows the light to fluidly travel up the supports, yet maintains a clear view for spectators when the lights are off.
"Color Kinetics technology is so versatile and easy to work that it can be used almost anywhere. As a huge hockey fan, I'm extremely excited about seeing Color Kinetics technology on the ice along with my favorite NHL players, and even more excited about seeing this technology in all the rinks throughout the NHL," says George Mueller, co-founder and CEO of Color Kinetics, and a lifelong Detroit Red Wings fan. Adds Wayne Garrett of Innovative Arena Products Inc., "The All-Star game is just the beginning of what we hope to be a wide-reaching enhancement to hockey games in the NHL. With this system, not only will arenas have the most advanced protection for their players in the shielding system, but they'll have the most advanced lighting system to customize the experience for hockey fans."
Color Kinetics fixtures are powered by the company's patented Chromacore digital technology, a revolutionary method of generating colored light through the use of microprocessor-controlled, multi-colored LEDs (light emitting diodes - the same little lights that indicate the coffee maker or computer monitor are on). Color Kinetics products are digital, allowing them to be easily controlled through a variety of methods, and may even work in conjunction with other digital technologies. Chromacore-powered products are solid-state fixtures, meaning they are compact, low-profile, utilize no moving parts, and make no noise. Also, because Color Kinetics fixtures use LEDs, they produce extremely little heat, emit no UV, and have an ultra-long source life. All these benefits allow Innovative Arena Products Inc. to easily incorporate Color Kinetics technology into the ClearVision shield support system, offering users another way to enhance hockey fans' experience and customize arenas.
The ClearVision shield support system was developed in response to concerns throughout the NHL of increased player injuries associated with seamless glass systems. The ClearVision system provides the clarity of a seamless glass system, while returning the flex associated with acrylic shielding, in turn minimizing player injuries. ClearVision shield supports replace the existing aluminum supports that hold shields in place on top of the dashers. They are manufactured from high strength clear polycarbonate plastic, similar to the material used in hockey helmet visors. This material is extremely strong yet clear, allowing the support to withstand the high impact and pressures during an NHL game, while providing a clearer view of the on-ice action for spectators. Now, along with player and spectator benefits, comes the ability to customize games with unique shows of rich colored light via Color Kinetics intelligent illumination technology.
The digital LED lighting system also will be used during the skills competition and Topps/NHL YoungStars Game on Friday, February 1. After debuting this cutting-edge combination during the 2002 NHL All-Star weekend, Color Kinetics and Innovative Arena Products Inc. hope to integrate it in additional arenas, adding a hit of color to all NHL games!
About Color Kinetics
Color Kinetics Incorporated is the pioneer of intelligent solid-state illumination technologies. The company designs, manufactures and markets an award-winning line of products that apply the practical and aesthetic benefits of LEDs to transcend the limits of traditional light sources for use in professional, consumer, and OEM and licensing applications. Its flagship line of technologies leverage a patented layer of digital intelligence, called Chromacore®, to generate and control millions of colors and dynamic lighting effects. Color Kinetics leads the industry in solid-state lighting innovation, including the custom engineered Chromasic® microchip, and holds a growing patent portfolio encompassing a number of emerging digital technologies. Founded in 1997, the company is privately held and is headquartered in Boston, MA with offices in the UK, China, and a joint venture in Japan. More information can be found at http://www.colorkinetics.com.
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