- Smart home solutions company Buddy Technologies (BUD) is set to launch an antibacterial smart light under its LIFX brand
- Significantly, the knowledge of the antibacterial properties of light goes back around 15 years and has been extensively studied
- LIFX Clean will be sold as a standalone light bulb in its initial phase, then later with specially designed fixtures to hold keys and other pocket items
- In this way, daily use items — which typically carry substantial bacteria — could essentially be disinfected just by leaving them out overnight
- The product is yet untested against COVID-19, and the company makes no claim over its potential use against viruses of any kind
- The product will launch soon on LIFX.com for presales and is expected to be available at retail locations in the fourth quarter of this calendar year
- Buddy Technologies is trading 21.74 per cent higher at 8.4 cents
Smart home solutions company Buddy Technologies (BUD) is set to launch an antibacterial smart light under its LIFX brand.
The LIFX Clean smart device will emit light at a specific frequency known to have a disinfecting effect, to sanitise surfaces and the surrounding air.
Smart sanitiser
It sounds a bit bizarre, but the knowledge of the antibacterial properties of light with a wavelength of 405 nanometres goes back around 15 years and has been extensively studied and peer-reviewed.
The High Energy Visible (HEV) light frequency has less of an antimicrobial effect than UV-C light, but has been deemed safe to use around people, pets and plants.
The effect — known as porphyrin excitation — has been shown to reduce the presence of microbes by 70 per cent within two hours of exposure, and has been deployed in clean environments like operating theatres as an additional sterilising agent.
In Buddy’s testing, the use of HEV light in desktop lamp and under-cabinet light settings over distances up to 40 centimetres has an efficacy over 80 per cent in two hours, and more than 99.99 per cent over eight hours.
Lighting the way forward
While the LIFX Clean will be sold as a standalone light bulb in its initial phase, Buddy plans to release it with specially designed desk and countertop fixtures which could hold keys and other pocket items.
In this way, daily use items — which typically carry substantial bacteria — could essentially be disinfected just by leaving them out overnight under a LIFX Clean lamp.
LIFX CEO David McLauchlan says LIFX Clean will occupy a unique place in the market.
“LIFX Clean is a ground-breaking product that we believe will help create a whole new category of smart lighting, one that we intend to lead with a combination of innovation and relentless pace,” David said.
“This might be our most important step yet towards making every space smarter,” he added.
While the company makes no claim the light is in any way effective against viruses (read: COVID-19), the world has shifted in the past few months towards a new focus on clean and germ-free spaces.
The LIFX Clean tech is in the process of being tested against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as other common bacteria to meet Therapeutic Goods Administration guidelines.
David McLauchlan says his team is doing what it can to help in the worldwide fight against infection.
“When the pandemic that has spread throughout the world first took hold, we asked ourselves, ‘What could our team do to contribute to more hygienic environments?’,” David said.
“How could we help our customers avoid secondary bacterial infections that would worsen the impact of the pandemic?”
LIFX CEO, David McLauchlan
“The result is LIFX Clean, and I couldn’t be more proud of the team for developing such an affordable and highly innovative product that will help to meet the enormous and currently unquenchable worldwide demand for cleaning products,” he concluded.
The product will launch soon on LIFX.com for presales and is expected to be available at retail locations in the fourth quarter of this calendar year.
Buddy Technologies is trading 21.74 per cent higher at 8.4 cents as at 11:50 am AEST.