Cycloptics Technologies

Cycloptics was founded in 2006 and got its start developing precision optics for military grade flashlights. The typical flashlight reflector projects light in a large circular beam pattern with a hot spot in the middle. While this does an alright job casting light in all directions, much of the lights’ power is lost around the perimeter of the beam, reducing user visibility. Cycloptics used lighting software to design reflectors that could more effectively harness the power of a standard 600 lumen incandescent bulb, by shaping the light into a uniform rectangular beam. Our flashlights focused 95% of the light into the rectangular beam, which allowed the user to more accurately aim the light and fully illuminate the target area from greater distances. As one can imagine, the acute ability to aim and focus light was a great benefit to military personnel in the field.

We then began researching other industries in which our reflector technology could be applied. During that time we came across Dr. Albright and the plant research he was doing at Cornell University. He expressed a need to improve the capacity and grow light efficiency of their walk-in plant research growth chambers. With input from Dr. Albright and engineers at Philips Lighting’s, Cycloptics got to work designing the optics of what would become its Greenbeams® reflector. The goal was to increase the percentage of usable plant growth area in a 96 sq. ft. walk-in grow rooms, with a spectrum that could grow any species of plant.

We chose to design our reflector around the newly released Philips 315W 3200K CMH lamp, because of its broad daylight spectrum and high efficacy 109lm/W lumen output. After months of design and rigorous testing, we discovered that if we used reflective grow room walls, and bounced light back onto the plants greatly increase light uniformity and intracanopy light penetration. To accomplish this, Cycloptics designed the geometry of its reflector so that the light would exit at high beam angles, reflect off the walls, and back onto the plant canopy. This method of light distribution and delivery ensures that the full plant canopy receives the minimum average of prescribed light intensity, with little variance between each plant. By evenly delivering light to the entire grow area, Cornell was able to add more plants to the growth chambers and increase plant production by 20%.

It was during this successful partnership with Cornell, that Cycloptics realized a need for an improved grow light system and began focusing on the plant research community. Since then we have been dedicated to supplying the indoor gardening industry with the most effective lighting systems available.