CANOPI: Controlling A Nighttime, Outdoor, Portable, and Interactive Lighting System

Abstract

Nighttime outdoor lighting creates novel functions and personalities of spaces, especially in urban spaces that remain active throughout the night. However, outdoor lighting also accounts for a large portion of energy expenditure due to high wattage, low power efficiency, and long operating hours. Driven by advances in affordable, energy-efficient LED lighting, smart lighting control has been proposed to balance illumination and user comfort with energy savings. To expand on the use of exterior lighting for functionality, aesthetic, and entertainment, I present a portable, off-grid, outdoor LED lighting system that is powered by solar energy and behaves and reacts to users according to bio-inspired control methods. During the daytime, the system lays dormant; at night, the lights activate, attracting and interacting with pedestrians. Two systems of LED lights were developed: a LED strip light system where the color of each pixel acts as a coupled oscillator according to equations governed by the Kuramoto model, and a LED DMX512 system affected by proximity sensors and ultrasonic distance sensors via a neural network control algorithm. The system is designed and sized to be sufficiently powered for 3 hours of operation after charging in full sunlight for 5.5 hours. The entire system is fully self-sustained and can be packed into a suitcase. This study and prototype demonstration shifts from the current archetype of static, sequential, and fixed lighting behavior to a system with dynamic and reactive lighting behavior utilizing bio-inspired controls and eco-design strategies, opening up the potential for uses such as solar-powered, temporary lighting interventions in public spaces and solar-powered lighting designs for small-scale outdoor events and performances.