The LiFi Revolution Landed at the SMAU Paris Fair!
To Be was one of the 24 innovative startups attending the SMAU fair in Paris, which took place from March 23rd to the 25th
SMAU fairs play a fundamental role when it comes to bringing together important actors of the European innovation system. Every year SMAU organizes events in Italy and many other countries that involve several companies from every sector at an international level.
SMAU and ICE, which is an agency that works on promoting and internationalizing Italian companies, allowed us to expand our network internationally and to dive into new great opportunities, such as potential collaborations with important bodies.
We were met by the vibrant and dynamic French innovation system. Accelerators, incubators, innovation centers, investors, and several institutions all work together to advance the growth and development of the entrepreneurial sector. Public and private efforts contributed to making France a fundamental player in the innovation system.
Our participation at the SMAU Paris Fair 2022 allowed us to introduce our solutions through speed pitching. We focused on LiFi Geolocation, which improves the geolocation experience through proximity content, and on LiFi Streaming, which creates a bidirectional connection thanks to light modulation.
We were honored to be welcomed to the Italian Embassy. We had the opportunity to take the first steps towards the development of solid Italian-French relations, that would result in a dynamic exchange of ideas and resources.
We thank everyone that contributed to making this an incredible experience, Lazio Innova and Regione Lazio for supporting us with the “To Be International” project, which was co-funded by the European Union and that provided monetary support, which amounts to 48.519 euros.
We look forward to attending the SMAU Berlin Fair on April 27, 28 and 29.
Join the LiFi revolution! Contact us.
To learn more about LiFi, read more here.
Sustainable Innovation Meets the Barracco Museum!
Starting from January 6th, ancient art will meet sustainable innovation with the new LiFi project: a new way to experience art, a visit guided by light.
The Li-Fi project, which was promoted by Roma culture, Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai Beni Culturali, will bring Li-Fi to Museums: sustainable innovation will land at the Barracco Museum in Rome, with a cutting-edge visitor experience thanks to wireless technology. This project was implemented and presented by To Be Srl, DB Ingegneria dell’immagine Srl and Tecno Electric Srl and with the support of the European Union.
The project was one of the 43 winners out of a total of 126 participants of the Contest POR FESR 2014-2020 “L’Impresa fa Cultura”. This contest was promoted by Regione Lazio to enhance our cultural heritage through innovation.
The Barracco Museum is one of the first museums worldwide to implement LiFi, which stands for Light Fidelity. It is an innovative and advanced communication system that allows wireless data transmission thanks to LED light sources. This data is received by visitors through their mobile devices with a camera. To enjoy the additional content related to the art exhibition, visitors will simply download the specific app and will position their device under the LED light source.
"We founded To Be because we had a dream and a vision: to imagine a world where every light source can transmit data. This is our idea for LiFi Revolution. LiFi is a technology that allows data transmission in a fast, sustainable, and safe manner. During these first years at To Be, we implemented several projects in so many different fields thanks to the unique features and flexibility of this cutting-edge technology.”
Francesco Paolo Russo, CEO & Founder of To Be
Introducing the Project
The project was presented on January 5th, 2022, on the occasion of the press release that took place at the Barracco Museum, and that was moderated by Mr. Gianni Todini, Askanews director. After the greetings by Maria Vittoria Marini Clarelli, Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, several speakers intervened: Roberto Pollari, Head of the Cabinet of the Regional Council President Regione Lazio; Francesco Paolo Russo, Founder and CEO of To Be srl; Giancarlo Brasini, Project Manager DB Ingegneria dell’Immagine; Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, President of Fondazione Univerde; Gabriele Ferreri,President of ANGI- National Association of Young Innovators.
The implementation of the project involved 14 selected points of interest. 9 of these are located in the rooms of the ground floor and the first floor, while the other 5 points are located in the ancient Roman House, its first structures dating back to the IV century A.D. The Roman House is located in the museum's undergrounds, which will be reopened to the public on the occasion of this project, after being closed for more than 20 years. The accidental discovery of the ruins in the undergrounds can be traced back to 1899. They were brought to the surface during the demolition of the Renaissance buildings to implement a new road axis in Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
In addition, the Domus, which has been closed to the public since 2000, will be extraordinarily opened every day (only closed on Monday) until January 9th, and, following, it will be open until the end of February on the weekend, from Friday to Sunday. The temporary reopening of the Domus, related to the LiFi project, represents the first step towards a complex and important journey to enhance the exhibition that will be developed in the next months.
This technology will be experimented with at the Barracco Museum until February 20th, 2022, with the possibility of being extended.
To learn more about LiFi, read here.
If you are interested in bringing LiFi to your school or to your children's school, contact us.
Altamura Meets Innovation Through LiFi!
Cultural Heritage and the Virtual World. A new hi-tech chapter for the National Archeological Museum of Altamura, that becomes more innovative thanks to a cultural revolution that emphasizes beauty and technology.
The pandemic crisis and side effects hit the cultural heritage sector as well. Covid brought new needs to transform and enhance visiting experiences. In addition, forced lockdowns resulted in new initiatives and alternative solutions to innovate and transform the traditional approach to cultural exhibitions.
In relation to the Wi-Fi project Italia, we launched a new project in collaboration with Infratel Italia to promote the accessibility and enhancement of our cultural heritage and archeological sites through Li-Fi G technology. Li-Fi G allows data transmission through LED lights sources.
The Project
Working at the the National Archeological Museum of Altamura taught us that to each time period and culture corresponds to a unique beauty standard. Through LiFi we created a path that will guide visitors on a journey where shapes, sensations, and values are as important as concrete events.
To start this journey, one will simply have to scan a QR code and download the specific app LiFi Art in the proximity of the LiFi Zones, located in between the glass windows of the Museum, on the first floor. MuAlt, a virtual guide, will be the one guiding visitors through the most interesting secrets of the ancient world.
https://youtu.be/PFkRA02YGBI
In conclusion, The Altamura Museum offers a new visitor experience that breaks all the traditional patterns. This new experience will be able to stimulate children's imagination. A beautiful, innovative, and strongly recommended visit, which becomes even more appealing with LiFi technology!
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To learn more about LiFi, Read Here
If you are interested in bringing LiFi to your school or to your children's school, Contact Us
ASL Napoli 2 Nord Joins the LiFi Revolution!
To increasingly improve the quality of services to physicians, patients, visitors and medical staff, and for the first time in Italy, we implemented LiFi in the Healthcare field. This was possible thanks to our collaboration with ASL Napoli Nord 2 and the support of Director of IT Salvatore Flaminio.
The first LiFi Zones, implemented in the Pozzuoli hospital, have the function of spreading the potential of this technology, particularly in the healthcare field. Users will be able to experience a bidirectional connection through light thanks to LiFi S (Streaming). This would happen through to a computer provided by ASL. At the same time, thanks to LiFi G totems and the LiFi Zone application, will receive information on LiFi and on ASL 2 Napoli Nord services.
LiFi and Healthcare
Applications in the healthcare field can be as beneficial for patients as they are for healthcare workers and visitors
It is important to keep in mind that many medical devices that are used in the surgical room, both in intensive therapy and in radiology, do not allow radio frequencies, therefore the WiFi. This makes LiFi technology a valid alternative to WiFi in the medical field. Since it emits a signal that does not interfere with the medical equipment, the LiFi technology allows a bidirectional and wireless connection which guarantees fast data transmission, high bandwidth, and density.
Finally, LiFi guarantees higher cybersecurity, as the light cannot penetrate solid barriers. Thus, light is necessary to access the network.
LiFi has an additional benefit: it is a safer technology for our health. Differently from other kinds of technologies, LiFi substantially reduces electromagnetic waves. In environments with children such as hospitals and care facilities, LiFi allows a wireless communication in a sustainable and affordable manner.
ASL Napoli 2 Nord is the first Italian hospital to implement LiFi and one of the first worldwide.
This was a very successful story that won the Innovation Award SMAU 2021.
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To learn more about LiFi, read here
If you want to learn about our solutions, contact us
Art and LiFi: Light comes to the Barracco Museum!
The Museum of Ancient Sculpture, “Giovanni Barracco”, is one of the first worldwide to implement LiFi to enhance its exhibition.
We share a mission with the Barracco Museum: to enrich visitors' experience by combining the physical and digital, highlighting the great value of our cultural heritage.
The project, co-funded by the European Union, will bring a new visiting experience thanks to the implementation of several LiFi light sources. Each lamp will generate a LiFi Zone through light modulation, to which will correspond a unique associated code. Thanks to a specific app, art-related content will be directly available on the user's smartphone.
The Museum
The Barracco Museum's exhibition has been located in the beautiful, XVI-century "Farnesina ai Baullari” building since 1948. Baron Barracco’s collection includes 380 pieces from the Egyptian and Sumerian. Greek, Etruscan and Roman arts. In 1902, this collection was donated to the city of Rome.
In 1899, in the museum’s undergrounds, ruins of an ancient Roman Domus were accidentally discovered, dated to the IV century. This is a brief description:
“A partially-preserved columned portico realized with reused materials was discovered (it can be noticed how the three Tuscan capitals were turned upside down and used as foundations). The pavement’s fragments reveal several construction phases: they show an ancient, first layer, made with rectangular, marble slabs. This layer is older than the portico and still shows proof of ancient restoration works. Walls were decorated with frescoes that depicted both terrestrial and marine species. These frescoes were separated from the walls in the 70s and they are currently stored in the Museum. The most reliable theories associate these underground structures with a public building of Campus Martius (the stabula quattuor factionum used by four equestrian factions that competed in Rome). It is believed that in following years this area became private and was turned into a noble mansion."
Source: sito Sovrintendenza capitolina ai beni culturali
To learn more about LiFi, Read Here
If you are interested in bringing LiFi to your school or to your children's school, Contact Us
LiFi Zones Cultural Heritage
CAMPANIA AND INNOVATION: TO BE IS GROWING ALONG WITH LIFI
The Project is co-funded by the European Union
With the objective of supporting the economic enhancement of innovation through the experimentation and implementation of innovative processes and solutions, both in product development and organization formulas, The Region of Campania will support the creation and consolidation of innovative startups with highly intensive applications through the contest “Campania Startup 2020”.
Among the entrepreneurial organizations supported by the Plan POR CAMPANIA FESR 2014-2020, we find To Be with the project “LiFi Zones Beni Culturali”, which aims at developing vertical solutions for the valorization of cultural assets through the LiFi technology.
The Project
The project “LiFi Zones Beni Culturali” wants to digitalize the tour experience within museums and cultural sites, to offer a more engaging and innovative experience and to attract a younger target. Moreover, it aims at developing interactive navigation services, particularly dedicated to people with disabilities, and increment the cultural assets' contribution to the nation's development. Finally, this project's objective is also to evaluate and develop new creative and innovative ideas, find ways to valorize our cultural and artistic heritage, and enhance the efficiency of the illumination system within the exhibition areas.
How are we going to reach these objectives? By creating a highly technological, meticulous, and customizable solution combining the digital and physical aspects and offering cultural institutions and their partners a comprehensive platform, easy to manage and that provides the right content at the right moment thanks to the highly accurate geolocation feature of Li-Fi.
Finality
Through our project we want to contribute to the digitalization of the world of cultural heritage, increase visits to the artistic sites and enrich the experience of the visitors. Starting from the core functionality of the Li-Fi Zone Platform, we will then add components designed for the specific sector, creating an App with its own unique logo. This logo will reflect the applications of Li-Fi in the Cultural Heritage sector.
Results
We have already been developing and experimenting Li-Fi solutions in the Cultural Heritage sector: Pompei's Archeological Park, Taranto's MArTA Museum, and Roma's Barracco Museum are just some examples. Since we wanted to make the LiFi Zones Beni Culturali Project a reality, offering an innovative tour experience, we are already working on new installations for other museums, and we are in a constant research and development process to offer an unprecedented solution.
We are working to offer green, digital, sustainable, and inclusive solutions to the world of cultural heritage.
Support Received
Thanks to the regional contribution of 263.137,70 euros, which was also co-funded by the European Union, our startup aims not only at offering an extremely efficient and scalable solution to the Cultural Heritage market, to leave a positive impact on the national territory and to guarantee a sustainable and innovative experience, but it also aims at strengthening and consolidating our structure by growing our team and establishing headquarters in Naples as well.
Work in progress
We are working to spread the light of innovation and we will keep you constantly updated.
Innovation and Modernity at the Barracco Museum
The Barracco Museum is one of the first worldwide to implement LiFi technology.
LiFi, which stands for Light Fidelity, is one of the most advanced and innovative communication systems for wireless data transmission, which uses light modulation. This technology works through a light sequence that is not detectable by the human eye. Not only can LiFi promote our cultural heritage, but it can also enhance the visiting experience of people with disabilities and impaired mobility.
Our work at the Museum is progressing, and soon we will implement a total of 14 points of interest, 9 of which will be in the rooms on the ground and first floors, and 5 of which will be located in the ancient Roman House, in the undergrounds. These points will be illuminated by the LiFi lights and will provide users with a unique and engaging visiting experience.
To learn more about LiFi, read here.
Would you like to bring LiFi to your school or to your children's school? Contact us.
LiFi and Healthcare
Through the National Plan of Resilience and Recovery (PNRR), the Italian government explained how it will invest European resources provided by the Recovery Fund: among several fields, the healthcare sector was particularly emphasized. A significant part of the resources will be allocated to healthcare to digitalize medical care.
Among several technological innovations in the medical field, LiFi joins the picture along with the transparent photovoltaic glass windows, which are relevant for sustainable purposes.
Applications in the healthcare field can be as beneficial for patients as they are for healthcare workers and visitors. The implementation of specific LiFi Zones can bring several services that aim at improving the check-in and check-out processes, as well as geo-locating and sharing medical records. This would guarantee the privacy and safety of the data transmission.
It is important to keep in mind that many medical devices that are used in the surgical room, both in intensive therapy and in radiology, do not allow radio frequencies, therefore the WiFi. This makes LiFi technology a valid alternative to WiFi in the medical field. Since it emits a signal that does not interfere with the medical equipment, the LiFi technology allows a bidirectional and wireless connection which guarantees fast data transmission, high bandwidth, and density.
How Does it Work?
Every device comes equipped with a modem that modulates light at a rate that is not perceptible by the human eye. This process is detected by a USB Li-Fi key that is connected to a computer or a tablet. This USB Li-Fi key then transmits the data to the lighting device through an infrared connection. In addition, LiFi guarantees higher cybersecurity, because light cannot penetrate solid barriers such as walls. Thus, direct exposure to light is necessary to access the network.
LiFi and PNRR Opportunities
The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) is the tool adopted by the Italian government to distribute and invest the European Resources from the Recovery Fund, with more than 220 billion euros of total investments. 27% of the total amount will be invested in digitalization, 40% will be invested to fight climate change and more than 10% will support social cohesion.
The plan, divided into six main sections and objectives, includes a series of legal reforms that aim at digitalizing and modernizing Italy, to increasingly attract more and more investments in the long run. This would increase Italy’s GDP and employment rate.
Innovation, Culture, Healthcare, and Sustainability are at the core of the digital and green revolution, where technology plays a central role.
Among several cutting-edge technologies, we have Li-Fi, which characteristics meet the needs of the PNRR, as it offers several benefits in different contexts.
Li-Fi is a wireless technology able to transmit data and information through LED light modulation. It is an innovative wireless transmission method: all the LED light sources become potential data transmitters, and every device is a potential user.
Li-Fi has multiple benefits. The first one is speed: this technology can reach up to 100 Gbps in laboratories. Then, Li-Fi is characterized by large bandwidth, about 10’000 times wider than WiFi. Security is also an important feature: being enclosed in a specific area, light is hard to be intercepted by external hackers. Finally, LiFi can be characterized by extreme accuracy when it comes to geolocation: it can offer advanced geolocation and indoor navigation services, as well as the opportunity to transmit proximity content. Differently from other technologies, LiFi does not emit radio waves, therefore it has no interference issues with other devices. This is an electrosmog-free technology that significantly reduces energy consumption in the telecommunication and light engineering sectors by incentivizing the use of cutting-edge LED lamps and using light as a data transmitter.
Considering these beneficial features, LiFi can be applied in several contexts, among which we find healthcare facilities, schools, museums, and transportation, all of which are very important for the green revolution that the PNRR aims at.
To Be Elected Best Italian Startup by Startup Village 2021
ICE Agency is an important contact point for Italian companies, as it promotes Italian products and services and helps startups grow in international markets, facilitating foreign investments in Italy.
The agency’s support allowed us to take part in the event “Italian Trade Agency Pitch Session at STARTUP Village 2021”, which took place at the Skolkovo Innovation Center. Here, To Be was elected the best Italian startup.
“Receiving the Italian Star title with the highest score from the judging panel is a great success for our startup”.
These were the words of Chief Operating Officer Danilo Fattorini, who highlighted the importance and great timing of this opportunity, which came in a moment of solid growth and internationalization for To Be.
This success guaranteed To Be access to the Skolkovo Softlanding program, which will start in October 2021.
Skolkovo Technopark is the biggest European Innovation Hub supporting Startups in the IT, Energy, Industrial Technology, and Biomed sectors. This platform, thanks to specialized and highly skilled teams, analyzes and looks for startups that have the most potential and that aim at expanding their business in the Russian market, with the purpose of building a network of investors. Within this structure, it is possible to have access to several offices and laboratories, other than to cultural events and conferences with successful scientists and entrepreneurs.
Skolkovo Ventures, the first Russian investment fund, supports these initiatives and provides banking, corporate development, and consulting services, so that foreign companies more easily enter the Russian market.