SOLUX
Interactive public lighting system design project.(2014 -2016)
Solux is a multiple award- winning project ( Spark Award, Forecast Forum) mentored by Markus Diebel that aimed to make our city a safe and green place. It is an interactive solar power street lighting system that designed for improving safety in public streets. With this green energy interactive lighting network, Solux can not only provide impact on citizens’ lives while saving approximately 65% in energy costs and reducing maintenance by as much as 90%, but also turned our city to a safe and connected community.
forecast festival February 2016
Prototype
Brand eins feb 2016
forecast festival september 2015 Brand eins conference may 2016
Problem: Safety
I live in San Francisco for six years. As one of the most flourishing cities in the world, San Francisco is not always that nice and friendly. The path from my college to Bart station will go through one of the most dangerous neighborhood. Many of my friends have been mugged and hurt in the past six years.Through the research in San Francisco police website, there are more than 300 crimes happened every day in the city. I want to do something to help me and my friends avoid this situation and make this flourishing city more friendly.
brainstorm of some ideation self-defense tool
I start to design some self-defense tools such as drug test ring, crime report app, and pepper spray phone case. However, self-defense tools can only protect individuals; it makes people stay in their own safe bubbles and lost trust in each other. I want to design a safe community for everyone. But how to solve this problem as a designer is the biggest challenge.
A safe environment for everyone
Through the research, I found that the crime could prevent by people's behavior, awareness, and the environmen, I can design something to create a more friendly environment. I start to focus on public lighting. Good lighting could enhance people's awareness and confidence. It also reduces the reduce the conditions of crime (dark, private situation and easy to escape without been noticed by anyone else) . There are eight studies have tested and proved improving public lighting effects reduce crime. In the study at the United States, the crime reduced 21%, in the United Kingdom, the crime decreased 38%.
Good lighting makes the environment feels safer.
The experience
Inspired by the movie Spirited Away (2001), the scenes of a magic light guilds two characters go through the dark forest left me a very touching impression.
The motion of brightness changing could play a good role in guiding and warning the pedestrians , and also can reduce energy waste.
Design CONCEPT - User friendly and Sustainable development
Focusing on street lightning’s role in increasing community pride and informal social control may be more plausible than a theory focusing on increased surveillance and greater deterrence. The streetlight could shine brighter when they detect cyclists or pedestrians, dynamically illuminate dangerous junctions, or react in inclement weather. It helps global utilities and cities connect, optimize, and manage smart energy and smart city infrastructure. For building more smart lights the cost will be an immense number. I will use solar power to help reduce the cost of energy.
The First version of the design
Form follows function
How big the solar panel should be and how long it could work in the climate of San Francisco?
Design and prototype
The second version of the design
The Final version of the design
The system consists of LED light and a multiple wireless sensor module that enables presencebased light control, meaning that the presence of pedestrians, bicycles or cars activates the streetlights.
Upon detecting a presence, the different units communicate with other units in the vicinity, to create dynamic lighting that follows passersby. This ecofriendly lighting system uses a solar tracker, a device that orients a payload toward the sun.
Smart city control system
With light and clean renewable energy, from transportation optimization to more efficient emergency responses and more, the possibilities are endless. This environment-friendly interactive lighting system could build intelligent lighting networks in the city and do much more service both for the citizens and government. There’s nowhere a smart, connected future can’t reach.
the Control Center is a web-based Smart City software platform that allows remote monitoring, management and control of the entire lighting infrastructure, providing an in-depth real-time analysis and health monitoring of the assets, networks and sensors.
Open architecture and interface allow an easy compatibility with third-party hardware and software, ensuring that clients benefit from a future-proof investment.
Our cities could have multiple applications to provied serves for their citizens with Solux, such as realtime air quality map, smart traffic lights, real-time energy demand response, smart water and gas metering, city-wide beacon advertising platforms, EV charging, intelligent parking, and much more.
Our cities could have multiple applications to provied serves for their citizens with Solux, such as realtime air quality map, smart traffic lights, real-time energy demand response, smart water and gas metering, city-wide beacon advertising platforms, EV charging, intelligent parking, and much more.
Real-time network
Using a real-time mesh network, Solux triggers neighboring lights and creates a safe circle of light around an occupant. The adjustment to human presence happens automatically. Interference factors such as small animals or moving trees are filtered out.
AWARDs
Solux win the Winner of Spark!- the highest honor of spark awards concepts & student catalog.
The Spark Awards - the world’s most modern design competition and foremost a community of designers and creative people, bound together by the idea that Design can make positive change in the world.
Solux as the selected winner project of Forecast Forum - an international platform at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin. 2015. The tandem have been announced: Wendy Di Wang and Markus Diebel, they will accompany in their further development until the Forecast Festival.