Application technology mix
Singapore, 5th September 2014
With the week coming to a close I feel like exploring something totally different…away from my daily work, just something light hearted to finish the week of in a relaxed mood. Some of you may have caught the article that was run amongst others by the BBC in regards to smart chopsticks…yes you read it right. Apparently born out of an April fools’ joke, someone picked up on the idea and developed chopsticks capable of detecting if food is poisonous. Don’t ask the details but assuming this is not an April fools’ story anymore, the chopsticks will warn you if the food is poisonous…
I guess that set me off thinking about how technologies are mixed up in different technologies. Technologies developed for different ways of use being applied in an out of the box or new innovative manner. Could did also happen with lighting? Let’s dream a bit…We already see smart light bulbs with build in sensors that can be activated with wireless controls or communicate with mobile phone apps. Are there other things that could happen as an integrated technology mix with lighting? Could it be integrated with a mini camera and a sensor switching on when an unwanted person accesses a room and be video-ed and the pictures relayed to your mobile phone…surely that should be possible. With the drone technology becoming so popular, could there be a future when we will have our own personal drone following us wherever we go with all personal needs including localised task lighting, like being your personal intelligent torch?
As we need lighting wherever we go to execute our daily activities one could imagine that the light bulb becomes a super smart intelligent hub in which lighting is just one of the functions. Cloud storage and internet communication, preference mood scene memory (including colour hues), with call up function, identification technologies on who’s in the room, tracking of space usage, habits…already there is intelligent hard and software build in to commercial lighting applications where potential customers are identified, tracked through GPS (using the mobile phone app) and directed to promotions and other sales opportunities. Reversely lighting can now be integrated in practically anything you can imagine….head lights in your shoes? Light in your glasses…endless
Most of these applications will have a commercial benefit intent, but also safety, security and comfort will be drivers to these developments. The question is do we really want technology to spell everything out for us…where is the time we actually need to use our brains and work out where we are, what we want to do and where we want go or even how we want to feel…I am rather apprehensive about all these technologies preferring to use my own judgement and making my own decisions… I don’t need nor don’t want machines to do that for me…have a great weekend!
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