AnyLight: Programmable Ambient Illumination via Computational Light Fields

In this paper we describe AnyLight, a lighting device that uses computational light fields to offer highly programmable illumination for architectural environments. Relying on integral imaging--a technique commonly used to realize stereoscopic 3D displays--AnyLight can mimic the illumination effects of various light sources, both real and imagined. A combination of high-output, narrow-beam LED backlight and custom, 3D printed optics give the device the capacity to shoot out strong, targeted light rays from its surface in arbitrary directions. The paper will provide extensive discussions covering the device's technical details, usage scenarios, and possibilities for future extensions; quantitative and qualitative results from our initial evaluation sessions will be reported as well.