Panasonic Starts New Solutions Businesses Using Ambient Lighting "Space Player(R)" to Enhance the Value of Lighting Design

Panasonic Corporation announced that it began selling the "Space Player", a new type of lighting equipment combining the functions of traditional lighting and video projectors to offer non-conventional ambient lighting, as well as projection contents in Japan from July 1, 2014.

The company will develop the new solutions businesses of the Space Player from the manufacturing to the sales, including the lighting design proposals to enhance the values of various spaces, and of the projection contents from the production and the sales.

The Space Player possesses both lighting and projection functions and provides new ambient lighting (the product release was announced on Feb. 27, 2014). Some of its many features include a spotlight-shaped design that fits naturally into its environment and a wiring duct mounting method that makes installation and relocation easily. It has also low-maintenance feature due to the use of a long-life laser as a light source and can play back contents from a wide range of sources including SD cards, PCs, and tablets, in addition to a movable structure that can easily control projection directions.

Panasonic will leverage these product features to create a new market of "Projection Lighting" that utilizes video for lighting. With regard to the projection contents, it has set up its in-house systems for the planning, production, and sale of projection contents as usage.

In addition to producing custom-ordered contents, the company launched a special website that provides free application software for customers to easily edit and create contents, and for a fee, also offers videos and images to be used in such contents.

Panasonic will promote the provision of total solutions to create high added-value spaces by leveraging the ambient lighting know-how that it has acquired over the years.

Panasonic will aim for three billion yen sales in the solutions businesses centering on Space Player and 20 billion yen sales in the entire ambient lighting business by FY2019 (for the year ending on March 31, 2019).

* Space Player is a registered trademark of the Panasonic Group.

[Features]
Creation of a "Projection Lighting" market through the release of the Space Player
Planning, production, and sale of exclusive contents in addition to manufacturing and sale of hardware
Further expansion of the ambient lighting business due to synergy effects produced in combination with existing businesses

1. Creation of a "Projection Lighting" market through the release of the Space Player

Panasonic proposes "Projection Lighting," a new ambient lighting concept, using the Space Player that works both as a spotlight and projector. By utilizing video for lighting, "Projection Lighting" will create an all-new market, independent of conventional ambient lighting, ordinary video projection, or projection mapping that projects contents over three-dimensional structures such as buildings.

2. Planning, production, and sale of exclusive contents in addition to manufacturing and sale of hardware

The contents projected by "Projection Lighting" will have to be specialized depending on the lighting needs of installation locations including buildings and stores. Because their production requires know-how on lighting, video, and ambient lighting, new in-house systems have been developed to allow the planning and production of contents. In addition to producing custom-ordered contents, the company launched a special website that provides free application software for customers to easily edit and create contents, and for a fee, also offers videos and images to be used in such contents.

3. Further expansion of the ambient lighting business due to synergy effects produced in combination with existing businesses

In order to effectively show the production effects of projection lighting, lighting design know-how is required in areas such as suppressing the brightness of the projected area while maintaining the brightness of the space. It is anticipated to discuss clients' requests in person and in detail and include them in proposals to meet the demand for custom-ordered products. Panasonic will further expand the ambient lighting business by taking advantage of know-how developed over the years in existing lighting businesses and strengths including sales networks that cover the entire country, and by producing synergy effects with Space Player-centered solutions businesses.

Specifications

Example of Use

Clothing shop

- Lighting up an object while projecting video images onto its surrounding space (e.g. video that conveys concept of product and video of expected usage environment)

- Can direct attention on display products by using moving illumination

Restaurant on a wall

- Lighting up dishes to look more attractive, and drinking glasses to further sparkle

- Projecting brief explanation of foods and drinks on the table or along the walls

- Projecting tablecloth patterns, beautiful texture or window frames

Art gallery and museum

- Projecting detailed explanations of paintings and exhibits or instructions for usage of articles on display near to them, and using them as captions

- Improving the appeal to visitors by using small-scale projection mapping on exhibits and fixtures and equipment on display

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