Canadian Press (on 3 May 2006) wrote:TOKYO (AP) - Residents of a Japanese condo are set to receive sunlight via a lighting system that transmits natural light from a rooftop lens to their rooms, a news report said Wednesday.
Residents demanded the 14-storey condo in central Tokyo be fitted with the system after finding that a 12-storey building would be erected only several metres away, blocking their access to sunlight, according to the daily Sankei newspaper.
"We are united in our desire for sunlight," the paper quoted resident Tadashi Ueda as saying.
The lighting system, developed by a consortium of engineering companies with government support, transmits sunlight captured by a large rooftop lens through an optical fibre system.
Harmful ultraviolet rays are removed before the light enters the condos, according to the consortium's website . . . more
You can read more about the technology and some products here: Sunlight-Direct