Creating IoT Building Intelligence Through Sensing and Thick Pipes

The lighting industry is moving to sensors and connectivity as a standard option in new fixtures to reduce installation cost and complexity. However, the sensors and connectivity that are being added are suited only to the limited task of running a lighting system - that is the PIR occupancy sensors provide only binary data on when an event occurs and the mesh networks (Zigbee and the proposed Bluetooth mesh) are fully occupied managing the lighting system with insufficient bandwidth to support additional realtime services that building owners will desire. A paradigm of analog sensors with much richer data attached to thicker pipes is developing to enable lighting systems to form the basis of a realtime building sensor network. Lunera will discuss the opportunities and challenges in working with these sensors, and the great need for thicker pipes to connect devices than current & proposed mesh networking standards support.