Fireflies Scales Brighten LEDs

Jan-09-13 The exoskeleton of a specific firefly has inspired a method of making LED bulbs that will shine as much as 50 percent brighter.

All fireflies emit their bioluminescence through the cuticle of their exoskeleton, which, in most cases, reflects some of the light back inward—just as LEDs do. The cuticle scales of Photuris genus, however, are laid in a shingle-like pattern and have jagged edges that help to minimize the internal reflections, allowing more light to escape.

To test whether the firefly’s method would work with LEDs, a team of scientists applied a layer of light-sensitive material onto an LED bulb then laser-etched the coating with a shape similar to that of the edge of firefly scales. The result was an LED bulb able to emit about 55 percent more light.

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