Collins Aerospace, the first aerospace company to apply uLED technology to the cabin, today unveiled its brand new uLED Reading Light at the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) in Hamburg, Germany. This innovative lighting solution, which is also a 2019 Crystal Cabin Award Finalist, builds on the company's portfolio of uLED lighting to offer longer-life solutions with greater weight savings. Collins Aerospace is a unit of United Technologies Corp..

Collins Aerospace uLED Reading Light is a small reading and dome light that works in unison with the cabin lighting system to create scenes that add to the general cabin. For example, an airline may choose a bright dome light for boarding or a smaller, dimmed light for night time. This technology can adapt to different applications from a large spot, small target, nonstandard and non-uniform shapes, as well as multi-passenger applications.

At a lifespan of 40,000 hours higher than standard reading lights, one uLED Reading Light is equivalent to three or more standard reading lights. It also has the potential to double as a dome light, with full-color options, to illuminate a row of tray tables and the passenger floor area, eliminating the need for sidewall lighting. The reduction in multiple lighting elements not only drives down weight by at least 66 percent, but it also results in significant cost savings.

"In the long run, uLED Reading Lights can not only save airlines operational costs, but can provide passengers a more individualized lighting experience throughout each portion of their flight," said Steve Scover, General Manager of Lighting Solutions, Interiors for Collins Aerospace.