A little history…
During the Middle Ages, people used the timeless candle for lighting until the arrival of the oil lamp in the 1780s. By definition, the oil lamp, as its name indicates, is a lamp whose fuel is oil. In those days, animal fat was mostly used, such as whale oil, although vegetable and mineral oil could also be used. During the centuries that followed, new lighting processes were introduced, including the petroleum lamp and the electroluminescent lamp. Today, there are many ways to light a room. We are increasingly striving to illuminate in an environmentally responsible manner by means of solar energy and energy-saving lighting. Progress does not stop there. Whereas during the Middle Ages it was customary to “turn on” lights with fire, today we have a whole host of methods as varied as they are original to address this problem.
Among them is the idea of moving from a basic light switch, to the clap of hands or by voice, to control and manage your lights. In particular, the trend is towards switching on and managing one’s lighting via a simple smartphone.
Control your lights via an application
The idea here is to make life easier. For that, there is only one thing to do: download an application. Once you install the app, you’ll be able to control all the lights in your home with a single tap on your smartphone. It’s as fast as it is magical. Many people are eager for this new way of life. Indeed, as you may have already noticed, this solution does not only exist for lighting. Many everyday objects are now “connected”. Commonly, we use Bluetooth technology to enable us to control our devices remotely. At Smart and Green there exists a very special technology: the Bluetooth Mesh.
Home page of the Smart and Green application, this is where you can add your lighting fixtures Suggestions of themes for your lights.
Bluetooth Smart Mesh technology
In a nutshell, Bluetooth Mesh, unlike the traditional Bluetooth, enables managing not one, but several devices over a short range. It allows sending a signal from one device to another as well as operating all these devices as a group. If you are interested in learning more about this technology, we invite you to read our article entitled “Bluetooth Mesh, what is it?“
TANGO
Controlling your lights, OK, but for what purpose?
You must have dreamed as a child of turning the lights on or off from your couch, without even having to move a finger. Now you can do it. As you can also choose the color, the intensity, and in short the atmosphere of your room! There’s no denying it, controlling your lights remotely makes life easier, yet it doesn’t stop there.
You turn off your television and decide to read a book? Opt for a low intensity blue light to enjoy the comfort of reading with a light setting that won’t damage your eyes. You would like to create a warm atmosphere for your dinner guests? Go for a yellow light that will highlight your dining table. When it comes to your backyard, there’s nothing more relaxing than being able to turn off your outside lights from inside the house when it’s -10C outside, right?
Why not even choose the exact times you want these lights to come on and off? This is all possible from your application! Not only will you save time, but also energy and therefore electricity costs. No more excuses like “I forgot to turn off the lights”.
There are many solutions for managing your lighting fixtures, all of which are constantly evolving. By the way, did you know that you can just as easily ditch your smartphone and remote control devices altogether to discover the motion detection feature? Don’t move! Or you could be caught in the spotlight… (add a video featuring the motion detector?)