LED Solar Illuminator

An apparatus for illuminating a target surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of LED arrays, where each of the arrays comprises a plurality of individually addressable LEDs, and where at least one of the arrays is disposed at an angle of between about forty-five degrees and about ninety degrees relative to the target surface, where all of the arrays supply light into a light pipe, wherein each of the arrays is monochromatic, and all of the arrays exhibit a different peak wavelength,
• the light pipe having interior walls made of a reflective material, where light exiting the light pipe illuminates the target surface,
• dichroic beam splitters disposed within the light pipe for receiving the light from the arrays and directing the light down the light pipe toward the target surface, and
• a controller for adjusting an intensity of the individually addressable light sources.

An apparatus for illuminating a target surface, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of LED arrays, where each of the arrays comprises a plurality of individually addressable LEDs, and where at least one of the arrays is disposed at an angle of between about forty-five degrees and about ninety degrees relative to the target surface, where all of the arrays supply light into a light pipe,
• the light pipe having interior walls made of a reflective material, where light exiting the light pipe illuminates the target surface,
• a collector for sampling the light produced by the illuminator, the collector providing the light to a spectrometer for analyzing characteristics of the light, and
• a controller for selectively and individually controlling an intensity of the arrays, and thereby producing a light at the target surface having predetermined characteristics.