Strategies in Light helps lighting industry find its place in the Internet of Things

Feb. 8, 2019
Bluetooth mesh connectivity hits the spotlight in show floor presentations at Strategies in Light.

The LED and solid-state lighting (SSL) community continues to seek its place in the grand Internet of Things (IoT) scheme. With each related news story and feature article we publish, we at LEDs Magazine look for the central thread: How is the lighting infrastructure connected in a system architecture and imbued with intelligent capabilities, driven by software, hardware, and communications methods working in tandem?

One of those themes that keeps popping up is Bluetooth connectivity, in particular Bluetooth mesh networking because of its extended range and many-to-many device communication functionality. While the potential of Bluetooth has been discussed for some time now, we’ve also observed recently that commercial products — and projects — equipped with Bluetooth mesh capability have been slow to roll out. This is not unusual, in our experience; there is a reason why we call them “emerging applications” or “emerging technologies.” But implementation is underway.

If you are looking to learn more about how Bluetooth mesh networking factors into connected lighting and enables lighting to merge with the IoT, you ought to make it a point to visit the IoT + Connected Lighting Zone on the exhibit floor at Strategies in Light (Mandalay Bay Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV; Feb. 27–Mar. 1, 2019).

On Thursday, Feb. 28, from 1:00–3:30 PM in the IoT Pavilion Theater, partners and connectivity and controls specialists from Silvair, Fulham, and McWong will be presenting their collective vision on how the Bluetooth Mesh standard is poised to enable robust, secure connected lighting installations.

Silvair executive Szymon Slupik has written articles for us explaining the foundations of the standard, mesh networking principles, and how Bluetooth can forge the path for lighting in the IoT, as well as how the system and network architecture changes the commissioning process for connected lighting. In the IoT & Connected Lighting Zone presentation “Bluetooth mesh lighting network: A practical guide for lighting manufacturers,” Slupik is prepared to demonstrate how Bluetooth technology can simplify smart lighting concepts and controls. “We're here to show lighting manufacturers how easy they can go wireless today, and how reliable wireless controls have become. Bluetooth mesh provides the shortest way to sensor-driven systems and advanced control strategies. It’s not about wired versus wireless anymore. It’s about democratizing lighting control and making lighting truly efficient,” said Slupik.

Fulham’s Jeremy Ludyjan added, “The Internet of Things will have a dramatic impact on building automation, but for a successful IoT infrastructure you need a reliable data communications ecosystem. A number of vendors, including Fulham, are already offering LED components with onboard Bluetooth mesh designed in to create a wireless data infrastructure. We expect to see more wireless capability being used in lighting retrofits in preparation for IoT building management.” Expect to hear Ludyjan explain how components can add Bluetooth connectivity to existing luminaires during the show-floor talks.

2018 Sapphire Awards finalist McWong partnered with Silvair last year to embed the company's firmware into sensors for smart lighting control platforms. McWong vice president Blane Goettle said, "McWong is coming to SIL this year with a growing line of IoT solutions; our goal is to partner with our customers to form the backbone of a new Bluetooth mesh-enabled IoT infrastructure. Visit the IoT pavilion to hear how we are helping make installation, commissioning, and activation more intuitive and accessible."

Get to know our experts

Szymon Slupik, CTO and co-founder at Silvair Slupik also chairs the Mesh Working Group at the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), and is the author of the Mesh Model specification that lays the ground for interoperability of multivendor smart lighting systems. A serial entrepreneur with a strong engineering background, Slupik has been positioning Silvair as a provider of a smart lighting control platform as a service, based on interoperable and open standards. He drove the development of Bluetooth mesh networking, elevating smart lighting as the primary application for this wireless technology.
Jeremy Ludyjan, LC, senior director of global field marketing, Fulham Co., Inc. — Ludyjan is responsible for marketing and business development of Fulham’s full line of lighting controls and IoT products. Before Fulham, Ludyjan was a consultant and the general manager of Velocity SSL. Previously, he held various roles at Bulbrite, Illumitex, Samsung LED, Everlight, TTI, and Mouser Electronics. Ludyjan studied international business at Texas Wesleyan University for his Bachelor’s degree in business administration and has an MBA in sustainable business. He is an active member of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and has his Lighting Certificate (LC) from the National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions (NCQLP).
Blane Goettle, vice president, McWong International, Inc. — At McWong, Goettle manages the business development and marketing programs as well as strategic product development and partner relationships. Prior to serving in this capacity, he worked for the company as a senior project manager. Before joining McWong, Goettle provided marketing and business communications services to a range of clients in Shanghai. Goettle holds an MBA from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, and a B.S. from Stanford University.Strategies in Light 2
019 is just around the corner. Register now to gain access to these exhibit-floor presentations, booth demonstrations, focused educational workshops, conference sessions, and more.

*Updated Feb. 8, 2019 12:15 PM for additional comment.