New Smart Home Tech to Watch for in 2019: Circadian Rhythm and Lighting
A new year is upon us, and at Josh.ai we know that this is a time for people to make resolutions and changes in their life. The new year offers a blank slate for improvements and reinventing yourself. There is one natural phenomenon that happens more often than the new year and offers a chance to improve your home and work life as well as your mental health: circadian rhythm. Tying in circadian rhythm into your home automation system can have a profoundly positive effect on your mood and well-being.
Circadian rhythm, according to Webster’s dictionary, is “being, having, characterized by, or occurring in approximately 24-hour periods or cycles (as of biological activity or function).” There is a lot of buzz surrounding circadian rhythm and the health benefits associated staying true to our body’s internal clock. Companies are starting to see how something that goes almost unnoticed everyday, like lighting, can improve peoples daily life by increasing mental performance and increase productivity.
Here at Josh.ai we always are finding ways to make your home experience better. Modern living has a strong impact on our bodies natural clocks. Fluorescent and electric lights used in most offices give you two options, ON & OFF, but you are not able to control the brightness or warmth. By controlling intensity and warmth, the lighting is less harmful not only to your eyes and body but your mood.
In this day and age where health and wellness is on the forefront of people’s mind, circadian lighting is something that many companies are exploring to help improve one’s quality of life.
How circadian lighting can change our lives
Who knew that that you could increase productivity, functionality, and mood just by manipulating light? Mother nature did, which is why most peoples body start getting into a rhythm, also known as your sleep/wake cycle.
With traditional lighting, you can’t change the colors, warmth or brightness of the lights, which can be harmful to your eyes. Not only can harsh lighting be harmful to your eyes, but it also has an effect on your overall health. Circadian lighting is designed to mimic the circadian rhythms of natural sunlight at any time of the day, and uses position, angle, and color of natural sunlight.
Research has confirmed that circadian lighting can improve alertness, productivity, and concentration. The research has also found that using circadian lighting can improve your mood as well as cognitive function which can lead to fewer mistakes. Working with our internal clock offers a better quality of life.
Using circadian lighting in your day to day life
The custom electronics industry is also starting to recognize the importance of what wellness driven products can provide. In mid 2018, we were happy to see Lutron acquire Ketra, demonstrating their commitment to providing innovative and important solutions to their clients. Ketra lets you create customizable scenes for the perfect atmosphere. For instance, Ketra lighting is currently being used in a NYC cafe named Honeybrains. Not only does Honeybrains help to nourish the body through healthy food, but they also provide a complete wellness experience by using natural lighting that Ketra offers.
Thanks to the Lutron acquisition, we can expect to see Ketra integrated into many more residential and commercial projects giving integrators a great option to offer to their clients.
Glumac has been a leader in sustainable design for over 45 years. The focus for Glumac is to maximize efficiency while making sure that the impact they have on the planet and environment is minimal. Lighting design is an avenue that they continue to explore in everything from traditional office space to outdoor sports arenas.
CIRCADIAN Light focuses on industrial and commercial spaces like offices and nursing homes. DynamicBlu is the name of the lighting system that they hope will improve lives. “Workplace lighting should also protect the health, and boost the productivity of the people who work under them.” Researching the impact of circadian lighting CIRCADIAN Light has been able to find that circadian lighting shows major improvements not only in work but also in the healthcare sector. Improvements include better moods, more sleep, sooner medical recovery and overall well-being.
In 2019, Josh continues to go beyond voice or an intuitive and smart home. In the future, you will be able to create scenes that give you the optimal lighting for your home and any time of day. With smart technology constantly changing, circadian lighting at home and work redefines how people can take control of their health. Working with our bodies internal clock can help us step into the next frontier of smart home technology.
This article was written by Saina at Josh.ai, where she works on the business development team. She received her BS in Mass Communication from St. Cloud State University in Central Minnesota. When she is not working, she is traveling, looking for new thrills and experiences.
Josh.ai is an artificial intelligence agent for your home. If you’re interested in learning more, visit us at https://josh.ai.
