Martin Huber, CEO and Co-Founder of 3D modelling and spatial data company Metaroom by Amrax, discusses how digital twins are opening the door to the adoption of new lighting solutions.
Digitalisation in design and planning isn’t new. For years now, Building Information Modelling (BIM) models have been used to empower designers, architects, engineers and planners to visualise, collaborate, and optimise their designs in virtual environments to accelerate innovation and streamline efficiencies. It is only more recently though that this powerful tech category is coming to the fore in a wider range. Part of the reason can be attributed to Apple Inc. Though its recent Vision Pro headset – what it has called a ‘spatial computer’ – may have been met with a mixed reception, there’s no doubt it marks an important evolution in the market. Far from simply an entertainment or gaming experience, it’s indicative of a growing transition towards VR and AR use in a wide range of very compelling commercial applications that will appeal to a number of businesses.
One of the most notable of these is spatial design. When BIM technologies are partnered with the latest generation of 3D modelling and spatial data capture, the ability to scan rooms and generate quick true-to-scale 3D models to ensure project-specific customisation and precision can be game-changing. In the past, this process would be incredibly costly, time consuming and fraught with potential risk. Now, anybody, with the minimum of training, can use these platforms to create the ideal design for their needs, and, crucially, easily liaise with other stakeholders to amend and confirm their plans.
Why this matters for the lighting industry is that one of the most experimented with factors is how buildings are illuminated. This stands to reason – lighting has a profound impact on the comfort and ascetic of a building as well as its functionality. Due to higher energy costs and the need for improved sustainability, there is real value to be had in finding highly efficient lighting solutions. Meanwhile legislation, such as the recently introduced amendment to the RoHS Directive, continues to render the need for innovation, especially in terms of efficiency, more critical.
Experimentation with digital twins is not confined to finding out how to light a building with as few light fittings as possible, it’s also about how you can creatively use light to create the best possible environment.
Saving money on traditional lighting solutions will also increase the willingness of building owners/designers and facility managers to allocate more resources to cutting edge technology such as UV disinfection. These lighting solutions can improve the overall healthiness of a space. This isn’t just attractive to the healthcare industry – it’s relevant to any business that seeks to improve the wellbeing of their employees while also reducing time lost to sickness. Higher up on the innovation scale is smart lighting enabled by quantum dot technology. Designers can now create lighting environments that closely mimic actual daylight and can be linked to a building user’s circadian rhythm to dynamically change in line with how sunlight differs throughout a normal day. Research has shown that this has a huge impact on wellbeing and could be transformative during the long winter months or for workers on night shifts.
However, the sector where we are likely to see the biggest demand is within dynamic and IoT lighting systems. This is because digital twins and spatial computing also opens the door to the holy grail of building design – truly smart buildings. As many will be aware, this is the concept that every factor within a building is controlled via a series of smart devices and AI to react in real time to external and internal variables to create, in essence, a living environment. Lighting is obviously one of the major factors within that scenario and companies which provide these smart integrated solutions are going to see major interest in their products.
The final opportunity for lighting companies is working more closely with tech platforms within the 3D modelling space to directly integrate their products into these applications. This will enable users to experiment directly with existing and even potential new products during the design process. Lighting companies will also be able to collect data on how designers are innovating which will provide invaluable product development insights. Closer integration with modelling platforms also has the virtue of helping the technology to develop. Lighting companies can provide their deep expertise to enhance the customer experience by suggesting new functionalities. This in turn should enable users to do even more experimentation driving further innovation in a virtuous cycle.
The reality is that the advent of digital twins and spatial design has the potential to change everything we thought we already knew about lighting design in all aspects of aesthetics, functionality, sustainability, occupancy comfort and well-being, and brand identity. A bright idea would be to begin to integrate virtualisation in strategic lighting design today, as its significance continues to grow in the years to come.
This article appeared in the October 2024 issue of Energy Manager magazine. Subscribe here.
