Smart Lighting Gets Smarter And Cheaper

I have always been in awe of Edison for his simple invention of a light bulb. He single handedly did something for mankind that I guess even after 1000 years his name would be there somewhere for bringing light to mankind. The right lighting can turn an ancient monument in ruins to the most sparkling monument bathing in fresh sparkling light. Light has a deep connection with our physiology. The right colour, intensity can fire up passions, the soothing duller light can help put us off to sleep. Our brain has a different response to different colours, hue and light.

For years there was this bulb priced between Rs.10 to Rs.30 that gave light. The smart-phone has changed the way we ride taxis, the way we eat and now even the way we light up our homes. Lighting is now smart.

Lighting and hue
My first introduction to smart lighting was last year. I had witnessed the beauty of Philips Hue. It was a stunner but for a price. Starting at Rs.8000 upwards Philips Hue great but having a couple of bulbs, even as less as 5, meant spending around Rs.35,000 to Rs.40,000. My friend joked that soon there maybe a lights loan from the bank considering the high price for smart led lighting.

The Chinese clones
There has more than a dozen Chinese clones for less than 75 per cent the price of branded ones but they can't be trusted. If they last, they last, if they don't, there is little you can do about them.

Indigenous solutions get cheaper
Worth mentioning is an indigenous solution that could have potential. This year Syska launched Rainbow LED bulb which the company says "vows to personalize your experience to the most colourful rainbow shades to choose from, that could be controlled wirelessly, illuminating 3 million colours for every mood, bringing endless possibilities light years ahead"

You can control lighting through an app. Syska Rainbow LED biggest plus is its pocket friendly price at just Rs 1,999 along with features such as App based lighting, scheduled lighting and Music Sync with light. Slide the phone in your pocket and the bulb light brightness will change according to the movement of the user while dancing. You can program entire rooms or zones with specific types of lighting – program different areas of your homes to suit your tastes.

While one cannot really compare Hue with Syska Rainbow LED but the latter deserves applause for the sheer innovation and the affordable pricing. While Hue is more of a home lighting solution coming with a bridge and other stuff priced rather steeply, Syska Rainbow LED gets disruptive with its pricing and some cool features.

Overall it’s getting better for the consumer with falling pricing and more features.