Healthe’s Circadian Bulb Changes Spectral output in Response to the Sun
May 8, 2019
Healthe Inc. has added an LED bulb to its line of circadian lighting products that can dynamically change spectral output over the course of the day, delivering what it says are invigorating blues in the morning and minimizing the blues in the evening for relaxation.
The new SunTrac A19 serves as an all-in-one combination of Healthe’s existing GoodDay and GoodNight bulbs geared, respectively, for the morning and nighttime. It also includes a third “afternoon” setting in between GoodDay and GoodNight.
Cocoa Beach, FL-based Healthe is positioning SunTrac both for the home and commercial LED lighting markets, initially in North America.
Users have several options for controlling the bulb, which has a standard E26 screw fitting. On the simpler side, they can toggle between the three settings via a wall switch, a lamp’s turnable knob, an app, or with a Bluetooth wireless switch. The app and Bluetooth switch can also alter the brightness. The Bluetooth switch can be wall mounted or sit on its own. It is powered kinetically — charging itself in response to human touch, as opposed to requiring batteries or wires.
A more dynamic option connects the bulb to Healthe’s matchbox-sized GPS device called SunLync, which tracks the bulb’s position in relation to the sun, and adjusts spectral output to one of the three settings accordingly, communicating with the bulb wirelessly via Bluetooth. It triggers changes from the day to the afternoon to the night setting, and back to day after a user turns on the light in the morning. Each time, it instigates gradual shifts that are imperceptible to the human eye as they occur.
Healthe is developing a feature that will allow users a greater degree of scheduling the shifts. The system today does not automatically turn on the lights in the morning, for instance.
At $30.99, SunTrac is pricier than the GoodDay and GoodNight LED bulbs, both of which remain in the Healthe line, priced at $12.99.
The Bluetooth controller also adds to the price, as Healthe has tagged it at $83.99.
Healthe is also offering a $120 package that includes the SunLync device plus two SunTrac bulbs. It is selling the new products through its own website and also soon through Amazon, where it will continue to offer GoodDay and GoodNight. Those two bulbs are also available through Sleep Number, the smart bed and mattress company. Healthe plans to soon sell SunTrac in Europe and China as well.
While $30.99 is not expected to appeal to a mass market, the hope is that early niche use will help establish the concept of circadian lighting and lead to price reductions and broader adoption.
