The EMSD recently installed a smart lighting system at the Public Health Laboratory Centre (PHLC) of the Department of Health. The system not only improves operational flexibility for customers, but also facilitates periodic tests for battery-operated lightings. It may also be expanded to include other applications of intelligent technology in the future.
The smart lighting system installed by the EMSD at the public area of the PHLC is equipped with ZigBee wireless controllers, which can provide individual brightness control and enable flexible zoning of lighting based on users’ preference. The controllers can also store energy consumption data for better energy management. The smart lighting system can be wirelessly controlled with smartphones or tablets. Its mesh network design allows for the identification of an alternative route of communication in case of any device failure, enabling other devices in the mesh network to stay connected online, thus greatly enhancing the network stability.
The system software also includes a battery auto-test function for scheduling battery discharge tests for emergency lighting system periodically, and the test results are recorded in a register so as to meet the Fire Services Department’s requirements. The integration of the automatic testing feature and the recording function can effectively save manpower resources, since those tasks have to be manually conducted before. The smart lighting system has also been installed at other client venues, e.g. the basement of the Hong Kong Fire Services Headquarters Building.
With the technological advancement and the increasing popularity of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the smart lighting system can be integrated with other IoT technologies, such as location beacon, which can be used to precisely identify the location of individuals within a building, enabling the development of an indoor navigation system for the visually impaired.