As mentioned before, I'm a junkie for "smart" devices, applications, and love the way they inform my life and make me more efficient--both dollars and time. I've always been on the lookout for smart "lighting." In fact, I've tried the Phillips Hue, looked the Z-wave platform and others. However, they all fall short.
Controlling your thermostat (e.g., Nest), sprinklers (e.g., Rain Machine), TV (DirecTV), alarm system (Frontpoint), and even doorbell (e.g., Skybell) with your phone is fine and convenient. You use these devices sparingly and are not typically turning them on and off, or adjusting them frequently. However, with lights, you're constantly in and out of rooms in the house, adjusting the dimmer, and wanting to even move them around. Controlling them by a phone is simply impractical and borderline useless.
If I were able to design an optimal lighting system for my house, it would need to have the following:
1. Ability to turn on instantly and turn off after slight delay when I walk into the room
2. Be able to sense the time of day potentially natural light entering the room and adjust accordingly. Nobody wants to turn on lights in a fully sun-lit room. And at night, it may be nice to not have as bright a light as possible.
3. It should be able to recognize heights of people. This is obviously important for pets, but also kids. You may want brighter lights for kids while my eyes can handle lower levels of light.
4. It should take all bulbs and not proprietary ones (the Phillips Hue system is nice, but that's an expensive bulb from one source).
5. Open source platform that allows other smart devices to connect. For example, I'd like my Nest Protect smoke detector to be connected to the lights with flashing lights when the alarm goes off. Same for my alarm system (how great would that be to neighbors if there's a burglary--christmas tree lights flashing throughout the house?).
6. It can be controlled by your phone but doesn't have to.
If there's something out there that's like this, I'd like to know. If there isn't, I'm sure I can line up investors for technology prototypes like this.
Controlling your thermostat (e.g., Nest), sprinklers (e.g., Rain Machine), TV (DirecTV), alarm system (Frontpoint), and even doorbell (e.g., Skybell) with your phone is fine and convenient. You use these devices sparingly and are not typically turning them on and off, or adjusting them frequently. However, with lights, you're constantly in and out of rooms in the house, adjusting the dimmer, and wanting to even move them around. Controlling them by a phone is simply impractical and borderline useless.
If I were able to design an optimal lighting system for my house, it would need to have the following:
1. Ability to turn on instantly and turn off after slight delay when I walk into the room
2. Be able to sense the time of day potentially natural light entering the room and adjust accordingly. Nobody wants to turn on lights in a fully sun-lit room. And at night, it may be nice to not have as bright a light as possible.
3. It should be able to recognize heights of people. This is obviously important for pets, but also kids. You may want brighter lights for kids while my eyes can handle lower levels of light.
4. It should take all bulbs and not proprietary ones (the Phillips Hue system is nice, but that's an expensive bulb from one source).
5. Open source platform that allows other smart devices to connect. For example, I'd like my Nest Protect smoke detector to be connected to the lights with flashing lights when the alarm goes off. Same for my alarm system (how great would that be to neighbors if there's a burglary--christmas tree lights flashing throughout the house?).
6. It can be controlled by your phone but doesn't have to.
If there's something out there that's like this, I'd like to know. If there isn't, I'm sure I can line up investors for technology prototypes like this.
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