BitCortex - Brilliant Connected Lights

Lighting as a conduit for technological disruption

Digitisation is the ultimate goal of the rapidly evolving and seemingly limitless world of IoT. Each new technology brings game-changing value to the table and disrupts the industry. There are many examples of this; Amazon changed the very notion of shopping, Uber disrupted the transportation and food delivery segments, and Booking.com has redefined the travel sector.

Mine sites invest in digital transformation in pursuit of cost reductions, productivity gains and safety improvement. The main aim of site digitisation is to link every piece of equipment, plant infrastructure and personnel together, forming a giant digital model that is fully transparent and can be used to accurately assess and predict operational disruptions in real-time; keeping people safe and plant operating efficiently at the top of its productive output.  

As Uber relies on the proliferation of smartphones and mobile data, in order for mine sites to take advantage of innovative IoT technologies, there must be a robust digital network over which these technologies operate. However, while the digitisation of industrial processing plants is worthwhile, it is extremely challenging to achieve due to the complex and hazardous environment. Running cables and setting up Wi-Fi coverage is challenging, costly, and disruptive to operations, while radio signal propagation is often impossible due to the presence of massive steel and concrete infrastructures, as well as constant electromagnetic noise from various types of equipment. 

That’s why Coolon Brilliant Connected Lights come fitted with smart wireless mesh networking nodes inside. 

Lighting is naturally positioned to provide the best radio coverage, by being mounted in elevated positions, constantly powered, located throughout the site, routinely inspected and essential to any facility. For the last 19 years, Coolon has been developing and locally manufacturing robust light fittings specifically for the harsh conditions of mining sites. With a proven track record of flawless, uninterrupted operation of over 10 years, the sophisticated electronics and virtually indestructible Coolon fittings provide the perfect host for innovative IoT nodes.  

Coolon smart lights contain nodes inside the fittings, which enables almost “plug-and-play” capability, offering immediate and effortless digitization for mining and industrial sites, regardless of the size or complexity of the infrastructure. Once installed, the lights can automatically create a wireless mesh network that covers the whole site, solving connectivity challenges: one node only needs to service a limited area around itself and pass the data onto its neighbour for re-transmission.  

Coolon Brilliant Connected Lights do not only represent disruptive innovation but provide a backbone for thousands of emerging IoT-dependent services and technologies to be implemented on a mine site. Customers have access to an ecosystem of technologies that can seamlessly piggyback on Coolon’s mesh network, without the need for complex installations.  Coolon Brilliant Connected Lights don’t just offer an innovative lighting product to disrupt the industry - they open their data backbone for thousands of emerging ground-breaking IoT services and technologies, enabling customers to pick and choose whatever provider suits their particular needs the most. Coolon took an approach to create an AppStore like environment for various IoT service providers to roll out their services without the need to worry about physical challenges of connectivity. 

All that is needed to implement digitisation on any massive, complex mining and industrial sites is to choose Coolon’s Brilliant Connected range of lights throughout the plant. This can be done progressively, as part of routine lighting maintenance, without the need for networking experts on site.

Learn more about the technology on the dedicated website bitcortex.net

Lights as a digital backbone

We put a smart networking node inside each light. Always powered on, elevated, routinely inspected and densely scattered around the site, lights are the perfect host for network transmitters. And we just happen to have spent the last 30 years perfecting the best industrial lights in the world.

Effortless connectivity

Each light only needs to service the small area around itself and then transfer data onto its neighbour for re-transmission.

Propagation, coverage or wiring issues become irrelevant as data moves quickly and efficiently from light to light. A robust network is created regardless of the site’s size or complexity, even in hard-to-reach areas with no CB radio or Wi-Fi coverage.

Robust site-wide network

Once powered on, all the lights can automatically connect covering the entire site in a robust wireless mesh network. Every light constantly detects and reports on important surrounding activity and environmental changes, creating an in-depth audit trail that penetrates even the most remote, least accessible areas of the site.

As easy as flipping a switch

Starting digitisation is an effortless journey with BitCortex. No extra cost, no extra effort, no disruptions, no wiring, and no coveted IT specialist that are never on-site. All that is needed to enable digitisation on any complex, large sites is to choose BitCortex compatible lights. They don’t require any more installation than normal fittings and the rollout can be done progressively, as part of routine lighting maintenance.

BitCortex allows mining and industrial sites to enable the digitisation journey by buying a basic prerequisite – lighting.

Access to thousands of compatible IoT services

The robust network serves as a digital backbone and allows to effortlessly deploy hundreds of compatible IoT technologies that would otherwise be impossible to access.

Once you have BitCortex you can deploy multiple IoT services And that’s where the fun starts.

There are hundreds of IoT services, and a dozen new ones are being developed as you read this sentence.

Here are some third-party IoT services that can be deployed through BitCortex network.

	Machine Condition Monitoring Be one step ahead with Machine Condition Monitoring. Get notified of any abnormalities and schedule maintenance in advance before costly accidents occur.
	Personnel Location Send help directly to those in need with Personnel Location. Locate people everywhere on-site in real-time including inside, on multiple levels and in areas with no CB radio coverage.
	Asset Tracking Never lose as little as a drill with Asset Tracking. Immediately locate tagged equipment anywhere on site.

Machine Condition Monitoring

Be one step ahead with Machine Condition Monitoring. Get notified of any abnormalities and schedule maintenance in advance before costly accidents occur.

Personnel Location

Send help directly to those in need with Personnel Location. Locate people everywhere on-site in real-time including inside, on multiple levels and in areas with no CB radio coverage.

Asset Tracking

Never lose as little as a drill with Asset Tracking. Immediately locate tagged equipment anywhere on site.