AUT’s Professor Olaf Diegel was a finalist in the 2011 NZ Hi-Tech Awards. Together with Rex Gilfillan, a well-known theatre lighting designer, Professor Diegel developed Theatrelight PID II, a Plug-in Dimmer Cabinet. A Plug-In dimmer is a cabinet of modular lighting dimmers in which each dimmer module can be easily removed and replaced with a different one (for instant repairs, or because a different power configuration is needed). It is designed specifically for TV and Film Studios, Theatres, Concert halls, or any venue requiring an intelligent and reliable dimmer installation.

The product was a finalist for the Dell Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product Award, a category recognising the successful introduction of exciting new hardware products to the market. The winners were announced on 6 May 2011 in Wellington.