Beaming with Possibilities
The Evolution of Laser Lighting and What’s Next for Clubs

In low-key lounges and cocktail bars, warm colors and natural materials find complement from architectural lighting, sconces and indirect light sources. Conversation and personal interaction are the order of the day. But for those whose energy is a little higher, a new vanguard of laser lighting may hold much promise — lighting so innovative it’s not even yet legal in the United States.

What Goes Around Comes Around
    Laser lighting, of course, hit perhaps the peak of its popularity in clubs in ‘80s and early ‘90s, but the exorbitant expense of the systems resulted in use mainly in higher-end clubs. The large size of the equipment also was a factor; laser tubes often were 6 feet long, and the 3-phase power and water-cooling unit was about the size of a refrigerator. The water and power necessary to make it all go added exponentially to the expense of the system itself. And laser tubes could be $25,000, but typically were more.
    By 2000 and after 9/11, lasers were not faring well in an overall American recession of sorts. The laser industry for entertainment applications in the United States hit hard times But during that time, a lot of developments in laser technology took place. The gas lasers of yesteryear gave way to solid state technology.
    Bill Benner Jr., owner of Pangolin Laser Systems, based in Orlando, Fla., and an executive member of the board of directors of the International Laser Display Association, says that the evolution of laser technologies for consumer electronics and medical equipment has helped. “As a result of all of that research and development, the light show industry has benefited, in that those developments have resulted in low-cost laser systems that are also usuable for laser display applications,” Benner says. “Now you can get lasers in the size of a couple of shoeboxes. That not only includes the laser itself but also all of the control hardware and, in some cases, the software.”
    “These new lasers literally just plug right into the wall and consume only a few hundred watts of electricity.”

Coming Soon
    The current climate, Benner says, is ripe for this technology to find new applications in nightclubs.
    “There has been a resurgence in the use of lasers in the United States,” he says. “That hasn’t quite happened in clubs yet, but I think it’s just a matter of getting the word out about what’s available now.
    “We can classify laser effects into three different categories,” Benner says. “One is laser graphics, where you take a laser and project it onto some surface to produce graphic images. These typically are representational graphics like the club’s logo or messages. Another thing you can do with lasers is an overhead beam effect.
    “You’ve seen a lot of that, especially here in the United States, where laser beams are projected over the audience’s heads and are rods of light often animated to the beat of the music. It’s kind of unnatural that light travels in a straight line and doesn’t get larger, perception-wise. It’s very intriguing to see that in a club environment.
    “The third category, which has not been done in clubs in the United States, is audience scanning. That’s where the laser beam is projected into an audience. That’s a very stunning effect.” Benner says, explaining that safety restrictions currently keep audience-scanning lasers out of American clubs, but in the near future new developing technologies will take care of the safety factor to make them legal.
    “You’ve got sheets of light and cone-like structures,” Benner says. “It almost creates real structure that you can see and interact with. People love to dance in this kind of environment.
    “That’s something that’s coming to the United States.”                       NCB