CES 2015 saw a huge influx of IoT devices focusing on making the home Smart. CBR presents 10 IoT devices for the home which were showcased at this year’s Conusmer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
SleepIQ Kids – Sleep Number
Photo source: Sleep Number
Sleep Number, a Minneapolis-based startup, unveiled a smart bed for kids that can tell parents when their children are having trouble sleeping.
The SleepIQ bed, available online from $1,000, is equipped with full body sensors which track breathing rhythm, heart rate and movements. The data collected is fed back to an accompanying smartphone app.
The data is shown via the sleep dashboard within the app, which indicates how well the child has slept, with parents also able to receive real-time alerts via the app to see if their child is restless or has left the bed.
Active Wash – Samsung
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Photo source: Samsung
The latest smart washing machine from Samsung is equipped with VRT technology to reduce vibration, and SmartCare, which sends laundry updates to smartphone devices in real-time.
The South Korean giant claims the washing machine can do a full wash in 36 minutes and includes a water jet and specialised surfaces to aid in the washing.
Other smart washers announced at CES included LG’s Twin Wash, which can wash two separate loads at once, and Whirlpool’s, which can connect to a smart thermostat.
Symphonic Light – Sony
Photo source: Sony
The Symphonic Light, which is the latest addition to Sony’s Life Space UX smart home range, combines light and sound in a clear glass speaker.
The prototype speaker lamp can stream music from a smartphone and work with other lights, allowing multiple lights to fill a room with sound at once.
Although details about the specs and release date were unannounced, Sony said the light can "fill a room with crystal clear sound".
The Life Space UX range, which is Sony’s vision for the smart home, also includes a new LED bulb speaker and an app-controlled laser projector.
Parrot Pot – Parrot
Parrot, an electronics firm that makes drones, revealed a smart plant pot, dubbed Parrot Pot. The flower pot that can automatically water itself after sensing the water level in a plant.
The self-watering flower pot, controlled by a smartphone app, comes with a 2.2L reservoir, which Parrot claims can keep a plant watered for about a month.
The flower pot also provides data on temperature, fertilisers and how much moisture is in the soil via the app, letting users know how well their plant is doing.
The system’s app is free on both iOS and Android and includes advice and tips about how users can best take care of their plants.
The electronics firm also announced the Flower Power H20, a sensor and irrigation system, which users can put into their own flower pots to make them smarter.
LPX34886C Fridge – LG
Photo source: LG
The LPX34886C smart fridge includes LG’s Smart Diagnosis technology, which is designed to allow LG’s call centre staff to identify any problems that arise with the fridge in real-time.
Homeowners can also join in on the diagnosis process by using the accompanying Android smartphone app to "record and analyse signals from the refrigerator".
The fridge boasts double doors, which have shelves built into the first set of doors, and 34 cubic feet of space.
LG, which also unveiled its G-Flex 2 flexible phone and smart washing machine at CES, claims it can stop up to 47% of cold air escaping each time you open the fridge.
WeMo – Belkin
Electronics manufacturer Belkin unveiled four connected home sensors under its WeMo brand at CES.
The company announced a door and window sensor, a keychain sensor, a room sensor and an alarm sensor, all of which collect data by connecting to a Wi-Fi network through Belkin’s Wink Hub device.
The alarm sensor notifies users via their smartphone when an existing home alarm goes off, while the WeMo door and window sensors can be put on doors, windows, cabinets, safes and more to find out if someone has opened or closed them.
The room motion sensor claims to have a ninety-degree field of view and a 30 foot range to track movements and heat signatures inside a room. It can be set up to trigger other WeMo devices, such as the WeMo Light Switch, turning it off when the room is empty.
Finally, Belkin’s keychain sensor can be attached to keys, children or pets, which generates alerts via the home network when the keychain carrier leaves or returns home.
All four sensors will be released in the second half of 2015, with prices to be announced then.
Smart Vent – Keen Home
Photo source: Keen
Keen Home, a New York-based home automation startup, profiled its smartphone-controlled air vent at CES. The vent is designed to optimise air pressure and temperature in the home.
The smart vents are equipped with temperature and pressure sensors to monitor, adjust and recirculate the air throughout the home based on a user’s preferences.
Keen Home, which is a member of IoT standards group Thread, said the vents can also operate automatically by remembering a user’s habits and what time of day it is.
"Our Smart Vent is designed to increase comfort, empowering users to customise the airflow to different rooms, while helping to lower home energy bills," said co-founder Ryan Fant.
The device communicates over ZigBee and will be part of Lowe’s Iris line of connected products.
Smart Vent is expected to launch this Spring, with each vent reportedly costing $80.
Coffee – Smarter
Photo source: Smarter
British startup Smarter unveiled a smart coffee machine, dubbed Coffee, which connects to Android and iOS devices via Wi-Fi to help make the perfect cup of coffee.
The £129 coffee machine, controlled by a mobile app, is designed to help coffee drinkers select the right temperature, the best time to pour, as well as the proper time to refill their cup.
The machine can also remember to make coffee at the same time each day and send alerts to to wake you up, allowing you to make a cup from your bed.
The smartphone and tablet app includes integration with IFTT, Apple’s HomeKit and wearable devices to measure things like sleep patterns against caffeine intake, the firm said.
The London-based firm, which also sells a similar tea kettle called iKettle, said the launch date will be in the first half of the year.
Motorola Scout 5000 – Binatone
The Motorola Scout 5000 from Binatone, a US maker of home monitoring products, allows users to track, train and talk with their dogs over a live video stream.
The smart collar features a GPS tracker, cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, two weeks of battery life, and a camera, which can take pictures or videos at 720p.
Equipped with speakers, owners can communicate with their dog remotely, or receive alerts when the dog is barking. The collar, expected to launch in the summer for less than $200, also emits a high-pitched ultrasonic sound every time your dog tries to cross outside a defined area.
Discovery iQ ovens – Dacor
Photo source: Dacor
Dacor, a 50-year-old kitchen appliances maker, added voice commands to the smartphone app for its Discovery iQ oven ranges at CES.
The Dacor IQ Remote app, expected to be updated this spring, will allow users to control temperature, cooking mode and lights of Dacor’s smart oven range by speaking to it.
The app already provides cooking instructions and recipe videos, and alerts users when heating is completed, while guests can be told when dinner is ready.
While the apps are set to be available for free, the prices for Dacor’s Discovery iQ line of products are steep, with the 48-inch dual-fuel model costing $12,000.
