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Release Kung Fu Candles – GDS adds ArcLamp Flicker to Pro Range

UK – Leading LED lighting manufacturer, Global Design Solutions (GDS) have been exhibiting its recently developed ArcLamp Flicker product on Stand G20 at this year's PLASA Show.

Flicker, now a standard item in the GDS ArcSystem Pro range, first appeared as a special project item after GDS managing director Matt Lloyd, received a telephone call whilst on business in Korea, from David Gray, architainment lighting division manager of integrator(and GDS distributor) Oasis of Dubai: "David called me and completely wrong-footed me when he asked if we could make our ArcLamp product flicker!

"Given that we'd spent years researching and developing a lamp that dims perfectly without the remotest hint of flicker, I had to resist the temptation to respond with some choice words in the negative. Knowing David, though, I suspected that there was probably a good reason for his request and when the reasons became clear, we had no option but to rise to the challenge."

Through its professional projects division, Oasis was working on a large scheme at the Motiongate attraction at Dubai Parks and Resorts, the Middle-Easts largest integrated leisure and theme park. Motiongate is a Hollywood inspired destination, showcasing themed areas including two that celebrate DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda and Shrek movies. To enhance these areas, the client wished to create animated light in the form of flickering candles, something as yet untried in an LED format. It was this request that led directly to Matt Lloyd's Korean call.

GDS's R&D department took on the challenge and by adapting the fade-to-warm technology within ArcLamp, developed a dual purpose lamp. Within DMX values 0-50, the lamp acts to mimic a candle with random flicker, from 51-100 it behaves as a normal ArcLamp. Not only does the combined effect of the flickering lamps create a stunning visual display in the themed areas, their dual purpose nature allows operators to use standard settings to indicate events such as 'end of ride' or for emergency lighting. Both Oasis and Motiongate were delighted with the outcome in Dubai and unsurprisingly, in a short space of time, interest from other global theme park operators was strong. The decision to put the technology into wider production was thus straightforward – something that Matt Lloyd had quietly suspected would be the case from the off:

"When our team had cracked the Flicker conundrum, we assembled a group of staff in a darkened room at GDS HQ, where we challenged them to identify the difference between an ArcLamp Flicker LED lamp and a real candle, set in identical containers. The results were extraordinary in that, in truth, no-one had a clue which was which! We'll be showing a video of the challenge on our stand at PLASA, so visitors can take the test for themselves!"

As GDS celebrates its 13th year, the award-winning UK manufacturer has become a truly global company, having established an international sales and distribution network in 38 countries. A multiple award winner with six market-leading brands, GDS continues to innovate at the forefront of the entertainment, architectural, television and corporate markets.

19th September 2017

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