Occhio air explained: smart lighting via app and controller
Quick summary: Occhio air
Occhio air is the wireless lighting control system from Occhio, based on Casambi Bluetooth mesh technology – a widely established standard in the lighting industry for wireless lighting control. With Occhio air, compatible luminaires can be dimmed, switched, varied in colour temperature, and organised into individual groups and lighting scenes via app or dedicated controller. The system requires neither a central gateway nor its own Wi-Fi infrastructure: the luminaires connect directly via Bluetooth and form a self-organising mesh network. Occhio air is optionally integrated into the Mito, Gioia, Taglio, and Sento series, and can be retrofitted to all other Occhio luminaires via an add-on module.
What is Occhio air – and what is Casambi?
Occhio air is Occhio's brand name for a lighting control system built on Casambi Bluetooth technology. Casambi is a Finnish company that has developed an open Bluetooth mesh protocol for professional and residential lighting control. The protocol is used by numerous luminaire manufacturers worldwide – Occhio uses it under their own brand name "Occhio air".
What this means for buyers: operation is via the Occhio air app (iOS and Android), which is technically based on the Casambi platform. The luminaires communicate directly with each other via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) – no hub, no bridge, no cloud dependency. Every luminaire in the network simultaneously acts as a receiver and a repeater, strengthening the range of the entire network.
What can Occhio air do?
Occhio air offers all the essential functions of a modern smart lighting solution:
- Dimming and switching: Dim individual luminaires or entire groups steplessly, or switch them on and off – with a tap in the app or the press of a button on the controller.
- Colour temperature adjustment: With compatible luminaires, the light colour can be shifted from warm white to daylight white – ideal for different times of day and activities.
- Fading: Move the light beam steplessly from top to bottom or bottom to top – an Occhio-specific function for luminaires with bidirectional light distribution such as the Mito sospeso.
- Creating groups: Combine multiple luminaires into a group and control them together – e.g. all luminaires in the dining room or all wall lights in the hallway.
- Saving and recalling scenes: Configure a perfectly balanced lighting mood once and save it permanently – as a "Dining", "Work", "Read", or "Relax" scene. Recallable at any time with a single tap.
- air sZnc – group synchronisation: Multiple luminaires in a group are coordinated synchronously and in real time – similar to a master-follower system, but entirely wireless.
- Sites – managing multiple locations: Create separate networks for different rooms, floors, or even residences, and manage them independently within the app.
The Occhio air controller: control without a smartphone
A smartphone is not always within reach. For exactly this situation, Occhio has developed the Occhio air controller: a compact device with four freely programmable buttons that can either be mounted magnetically on the wall or used as a mobile remote around the room.
Each of the four buttons can be individually assigned – to a single luminaire, a group, a saved scene, or the entire network. This allows the entire room lighting to be changed with a single button press – no smartphone, no opening an app, no getting up. The controller connects wirelessly via Bluetooth directly to the luminaires and requires no intermediary.
The Occhio air app: intelligent lighting staging
The Occhio air app (available for iOS and Android, and also for Apple Watch) is the central control hub for all Occhio air luminaires. On first launch, the app sets up the Bluetooth network: the luminaires appear automatically as "luminaires nearby" and can be integrated immediately – no pairing code, no network configuration required.
All control functions are clearly accessible within the app. Particularly convenient is the gallery function: a photo of the room is taken, the luminaires in the image are marked – and from then on the lighting can be controlled directly from within that image. This makes the app not only functional but intuitively easy to use with no learning curve.
Integration and retrofitting: Occhio air for all luminaires
Occhio air can be integrated directly into the Mito, Gioia, Taglio, and Sento series as an optional module – meaning the Bluetooth control unit is already housed in the luminaire head or body and simply needs to be activated. For all other Occhio luminaires – ceiling, wall, and pendant lights – add-on modules and integrated adapters are available to retrofit Occhio air at any time.
For the Mito sospeso, for example, the so-called air box serves as the Bluetooth module and additionally enables contactless gesture control (Touchless Control). The system is therefore scalable: from a single luminaire to a fully networked living space.
Occhio air plus: lighting control for commercial applications
For larger installations – hotels, offices, showrooms – Occhio offers the extended version Occhio air plus. It expands the Casambi-based system with additional control options for professional use: more network nodes, advanced scene planning, and integration options for building automation. For private residential spaces, standard Occhio air (without "plus") is generally more than sufficient.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Do I need a Wi-Fi router or gateway for Occhio air?
No. Occhio air is based on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and works entirely without a Wi-Fi router, hub, or central control unit. The luminaires connect directly with each other and form a self-organising mesh network. Only a smartphone or tablet with the Occhio air app, or an Occhio air controller, is required for operation.
What is the difference between Occhio air and Casambi?
Occhio air is Occhio's brand name for the system; Casambi is the underlying technology from the Finnish company of the same name. Occhio air is built entirely on the Casambi Bluetooth protocol. The app, device pairing, and network logic all follow the Casambi standard – under Occhio's own design and brand identity.
Can I combine Occhio air with other Casambi-compatible luminaires from other manufacturers?
Both systems are based on the same protocol, however Occhio air uses its own app and its own network profile. Mixed control of Occhio luminaires and third-party luminaires via the Occhio air app is not intended. For cross-manufacturer Casambi networks, the general Casambi app is available.
Does Occhio air work without a smartphone – e.g. via a wall switch?
Yes. The Occhio air controller offers a smart alternative to a smartphone: the compact device with four programmable buttons can be mounted magnetically on the wall, replacing a conventional switch – with the advantage that each button can be freely assigned to scenes, groups, or individual luminaires.
Which Occhio luminaires are compatible with air?
Occhio air is available for Occhio's entire luminaire range. In the Mito, Gioia, Taglio, and Sento series, the control unit can be integrated directly. For all other models, add-on modules and integrated adapters are available for retrofitting. At Leuchtenland.com, you will find a selection of Occhio air-compatible luminaires.
How many luminaires can I connect with Occhio air?
The Casambi protocol supports up to 250 devices per network. For private residential spaces, this limit is not relevant in practice. Larger projects – such as hotels or offices – can be scaled using Occhio air plus.
In summary:
Occhio air is Occhio's smart lighting control system – wireless, gateway-free, and built on the proven Casambi Bluetooth mesh technology. Via app or controller, luminaires can be dimmed, light colour adjusted, groups formed, and individual lighting scenes recalled at the touch of a button. The system can be integrated directly into the Mito, Gioia, Taglio, and Sento series, and retrofitted to all other Occhio luminaires via a module. At Leuchtenland.com, you will find a selection of Occhio luminaires with Occhio air support.