Speaking at the Pioneers of Light in Amsterdam, Martin Klaasen, CEO & Founder, Lighting Design of Things details the rise in IoT technology, and how this will affect lighting as we know it. 

When discussing the way in which IoT impacts lighting design, Martin states “It has affected it in a big way. Decisions about IoT in relation to lighting and light fixtures were being talked about by a lot of people. As a lighting designer I am meant to oversee lighting effects and the ambience and moods. From here I started studying IoT so that I could be on top of IoT requests and the surfacing technologies. We came up with LDOT as a service platform where we look at all things IoT, data infrastructure and how these will link into our lives- the ones we need to design and position in space. Through identifying this opportunity, The Lighting Design of Things was born.” 

Martin further explains the evolution of lighting, comparing it to a device we all use, the mobile phone. The old Nokia phone was used primarily for phoning and texting and not much more. Now, with how far phones have progressed you can do everything with your phone. You can pay, translate, text, phone and you have a hub of information at the touch of a button. Lighting is going the same way, evolving, and expanding at a fast pace In a few years lighting will continue to adapt and develop with surrounding technology, becoming a digital hub capable of defying pre-existing boundaries.  For lighting design to continue to thrive in the new age of lighting we need to understand these questions, how IoT will affect the light fixture and how it drives it, how it will connect, will we need a driver or what data infrastructure it will be connected to it? 

Therefore, it is important to understand what is available now and in the future in terms of smart technology. Essentially, it’s not about the lighting product but its technology and the solution it can provide. A presence detector can detect somebody in a room, or how many people in the room, the next level up is where are they in the room, and the next level who is in the room.  These four different levels have a totally different amount of data that are related to each level. Professionals therefore need to understand what it is they are going to do with all those IoT devices and what you intend to do with the data and the analytics that come out of them.  

Martin explains that partnerships are key “If everything is connected and clients can change the design, or the IT or heat & vent technician can change the design, who will look after it and take the legal responsibility for it? Partnerships are needed. The lighting designer is going to be the key integrator of all the IoT services and all that are linked to it. Design content management needs partnerships with the supplier and the manufacturer to make it a team effort. Out of the team you can define roles and responsibilities. This responsibility will become more apparent as we venture further into the world of IoT” 

Speaking about their new venture Lighting Design of Things, CEO & Founder, Martin says “We are still here for the integrity of the lighting design. We see ourselves as the facilitator and integrator of the IOT functions, but at the same time being the guardian of good quality lighting design. This doesn’t mean I am an IoT expert, it means that it identifies who the right partners and people are I need to work with to deliver a lighting solution that satisfies all of this”. 

First and foremost a lighting designer, Martin and his son Ingmar have brought their expertise and knowledge together to launch Lighting Design of Things. This future-proof solution aims to provide professional end-to-end users with a unified platform merging IoT smart technology within the architectural lighting design space. 

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