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TECHNOLOGY & EVENTS / LIGHTING CONTROL CASE STUDY
LIGHT SHARES Casambi brings lighting control to the hands of the German people in a public scheme controlled using its lighting control smartphone app.
Pic: Hans Henrich
Bingen am Rhein in western Germany has recently introduced a unique lighting project in Europe to its public space, whereby lighting can be controlled individually by anyone with a smartphone using Casambi’s lighting control smartphone app. The town council’s specially developed lighting concept has been designed to make the square more attractive during the darker months of the year, and entice people to stay around with an interactive, immersive lighting scheme that the town residents control individually via a smartphone. The concept envisaged creating “islands of light” using LED spotlights. To achieve this, one light has been fixed to every tree on the south side of the square, illuminating the benches underneath. Each light can be controlled individually using the app allowing individuals to create their own personal
lighting situation. To make such customisation possible, accented lighting was required for the spacious outdoor area. The lighting control system had to be resilient to weather conditions, while being easily and inconspicuously placed within its surroundings. The focus is then on making each of the LED lamps individually controllable. Each spotlight requires its own open network for individual access, and must also be easy to install and technically user friendly. Five LEDS-C4 Hubble LED spotlights provide 20W (1458lm). To be controllable using a smartphone, the concept requires one Casambi CBU-ASD module (1-10V) for each LED spotlight. These modules are roughly matchbox-sized and are installed directly into the lamps, making them almost invisible to the user.
With no WiFi available in public spaces in Germany, transmission protocol options were severely limited. The Casambi modules can be controlled by smartphone via bluetooth, a feature included in every smartphone. When the user opens the free app, they see one open network per bench, via the network, the user can dim the lighting from anything between zero and 100%. Without a user in range, the spotlights are set to 50% brightness. The Casambi app can be downloaded via a QR code provided on the benches. As the first and only project of its kind in the whole of Europe, Casambi has provided an interactive and generous lighting scheme in a public space, allowing practically anyone to be involved in the appearance of their surroundings and their city over a wireless network. www.casambi.com