Helvar Integration — Lucy Controls the Building

Café Royal uses Helvar DALI-2 lighting systems throughout the property. Lucy can communicate directly with Helvar routers over TCP/IP using the published HelvarNet protocol — turning conversational intent into real-world lighting changes. No other AI concierge does this.

How Helvar Works — The Technical Reality

  • ▸DALI-2 Protocol: Digital Addressable Lighting Interface — an open international standard for controlling luminaires, drivers, and sensors. Each device has a unique address.
  • ▸Helvar Routers (905/910/920/945): The intelligence layer. They sit on the hotel's LAN, manage all DALI lines, and expose HelvarNet — a TCP/IP control protocol on port 50000.
  • ▸HelvarNet: A published open protocol. Any system that can open a TCP connection and send ASCII strings can control the entire lighting system. This is the integration point for Lucy.
  • ▸ucontrol | API module: Helvar's dedicated third-party integration layer — used today by room booking systems and BMS platforms. Lucy would use the same route.
  • ▸Scenes: Pre-programmed lighting states (Welcome, Dinner, Sleep, Sunrise, etc.) addressable by number. Staff or systems trigger scenes by group and scene number.

HelvarNet Commands Lucy Would Send

ASCII strings sent over TCP to port 50000 on the Helvar router. The router executes instantly — sub-100ms latency.

>V:1,C:13,G:1,S:2#

Set Group 1 (room) to Scene 2 (Welcome)

>V:1,C:13,G:1,S:5#

Set Group 1 to Scene 5 (Romantic Dinner)

>V:1,C:11,G:1,L:70#

Set Group 1 to 70% brightness

>V:1,C:11,G:1,L:0#

Turn off all lights in Group 1 (checkout)

>V:1,C:11,G:2,L:20#

Set corridor (Group 2) to 20% — DND mode

Lucy's backend function opens a TCP socket → sends command → closes connection. Stateless, fast, reliable. No Helvar SDK required.

Lucy → Helvar: The Complete Flow

Guest says "romantic dinner setting"
Lucy NLU classifies lighting intent
Lucy maps to scene: Group 1, Scene 5
Backend opens TCP socket to Helvar router (port 50000)
Sends ASCII command >V:1,C:13,G:1,S:5#
Helvar router triggers all DALI luminaires in room
Lights dim to warm amber — instant response
Lucy replies: "I've set a romantic ambiance for your dinner."

Network Requirement

Helvar router must be accessible from Lucy's backend. Either same-network VPN tunnel or Helvar on a hotel-managed cloud relay. Standard for hospitality tech integrations.

Configuration Per Property

One-time setup: Helvar router IP address, room-number → DALI group mapping, and scene number catalogue. Stored in HotelConfiguration entity.

What Gets Built

A single backend function helvarLightingControl — takes room number + intent → maps to group/scene → sends TCP command. Reusable across all Helvar properties.

Guest Experience Moments Lucy Can Automate

Guest Trigger

Guest checks in

★ Wow Moment

Lucy Action

Lucy sends "arrival" command to Helvar router

Helvar Response

Warm welcome lighting scene activates in room

Guest Trigger

Guest says "romantic dinner setting"

★ Wow Moment

Lucy Action

Lucy interprets voice/text intent → maps to scene

Helvar Response

Dims lights to pre-mapped warm amber scene

Guest Trigger

Guest sets a wake-up call via Lucy

★ Wow Moment

Lucy Action

Lucy stores time, triggers at wake-up

Helvar Response

Gradual sunrise simulation — lights fade in over 20 mins

Guest Trigger

Guest enables Do Not Disturb via Lucy

Lucy Action

Lucy blocks housekeeping, notifies staff dashboard

Helvar Response

Corridor presence detection softened — hallway lights dim

Guest Trigger

Guest checks out

Lucy Action

Lucy confirms departure, triggers checkout flow

Helvar Response

Full room lights off, energy-save mode activated

Guest Trigger

Guest says "I'm heading to the spa"

★ Wow Moment

Lucy Action

Lucy logs itinerary, offers to pre-set return room

Helvar Response

Saves preferred "return scene" — activates on key scan

Guest Trigger

Returning guest (second stay+)

★ Wow Moment

Lucy Action

Lucy recalls saved lighting preferences from memory

Helvar Response

Auto-applies their personalised scene on arrival

Multi-Hotel Lighting Adapter Strategy

Not every hotel uses Helvar. Lucy's architecture is built for a pluggable lighting adapter layer — one interface, multiple hardware providers.

Helvar (Café Royal)

HelvarNet TCP/IP — port 50000 — ASCII commands

Integration Designed

Crestron

REST API / TCP — widely documented — standard across luxury hotels

Planned

Lutron

Telnet TCP — port 23 — simple text commands, open protocol

Planned

INNCOM / Honeywell

REST API — hospitality-specific — DND, MUR, HVAC, lighting

Planned

No AI concierge in the world does this. Lucy would be the first.

Bridging conversational AI intent with DALI building systems is a genuine industry first. Not on Duve's roadmap. Not on Canary's. Not on ALICE's. The moment a guest says "make it cosy" and the room responds — that's a hospitality experience no hotel has ever delivered through AI.