A South Korean startup has developed a smartphone-controlled LED lighting system, allowing users to adjust the intensity and color of lighting with a mobile app through Bluetooth connection.

Merlot Laboratories unveiled the product called Merlot Lighting that costs much less to install and is easier to manage than its rival products developed by global giant technology companies that normally cost some million won ($860) for installation and management. The company claimed that the Merlot Lighting is the world’s first smart steer lighting system that can be controlled by a smartphone app.

A user of the Merlot Lighting just needs to open the lighting app downloaded to his or her smartphone and move the gauge on the app to control the brightness and color of light in real time. The user can set the white color for the morning and the yellow ambient color for the evening, or make the light dimmer to lull babies to sleep by tapping on the smartphone display.

A number of global technology giants have already introduced similar smart lighting systems with adjustable brightness and color, but have failed to lure consumers because of high costs for installation and management. A Philips’ smart steer lighting product, for example, requires a separate remote controller, which is expensive. Color and brightness adjustment is also limited. Smart lamps made by Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. did not receive positive responses due to their high prices, too.

Merlot Lab was able to lower the price significantly by independently developing a specific semiconductor chip. The company directly designed the chip and the finished LED lighting product. An LED bulb to be launched in the second half is priced 50 percent lower than existing products made by large companies.

The company registered 13 patents on this technology in China and the U.S. It already received 3 billion won from five institutional investors including KB Investment and expects to get another 3 billion won this month.

Merlot Lab was co-founded by three engineers graduated from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) who have working experience of 10 to 15 years in integrated circuit development. KAIST is one of Korea’s prestigious universities.

By Kim Jung-beom

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