At Secutech 2019,
Good Way Technology showcased a
smart home solution that can be set up quickly from a home’s existing entertainment systems.
Good Way provides a Z-Wave dongle that can be plugged into the USB port of a high-resolution media players like set-top boxes and TV boxes. The dongle acts as a bridge and can connect up to 253 smart devices such as light switch, smoke sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, water sensor and motion sensor.
Essentially what Good Way provides is an easy-to-set-up solution, with the dongle serving as the control point for all the
Z-Wave devices, whether they are made by Good Way or not. “This makes upgrade easier and allows for fuller expansion in the future,” said Calvin Lee, VP of Good Way’s Smart IoT Business Unit.
Another feature provided by the dongle is that it enables voice control. Users can speak to the TV remote to turn on and off Z-Wave devices. It is worth noting that the remote is not the only voice control media. A smartphone with Google’s voice engine built-in can also do the job.
End-users also have the choice of installing wall-mounted panels that can activate between four to six scenes, or turning on and off multiple devices simultaneously.
Good Way is working with telecom companies that want to offer smart home services. With the dongle inserted into their media hardware, telecoms or cable providers are able to provide Z-Wave-enabled smart home services “without establishing another system on their own,” Lee said. “This allows telecoms to quickly enter the smart home market.”
This way, telecoms can provide subscription-based smart home packages, for energy-saving, safety and security, or other purposes, based on customers’ preferences.
Good Way also offers the Micro USB Dongle that can be inserted into a smartphone or tablet, so that the phone can serve as a Z-Wave gateway, making it possible to establish a Z-Wave smart home ecosystem.
Z-Wave is one of the most popular wireless protocols in smart homes. One of its main advantages is that its signals will encounter no interference with other protocols like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Occupancy sensor
Another showcased product at Good Way’s booth at Secutech 2019 is the Occupancy Sensor. Unlike normal IR motion sensors that detect only large movement, the occupancy sensor can detect small movement. For example, it can detect a person’s slight movement on the head or hands even when he stays mostly motionless in front of a computer.
This is useful in situations where lighting needs to be switched on and off automatically, depending on the presence of a person. Also, the sensor can tell the management how many people there are in a room. The air conditioning may therefore be turned up or down accordingly. The automation of lighting and AC helps to save energy.
In this case the occupancy sensor accomplishes what AI-enabled cameras do. “Users get to know the number of people in a room, but there are no high costs incurred
to implement AI,” Lee noted.
Commenting on the latest smart home trend, Lee said in the past companies have put emphasis on pursuing technological know-how and specifications. However, big names such as Google, Amazon and Ring are now using
voice control to provide better customer service. Their solutions feature low complexity and are “easy to use, easy to install and easy to operate,” Lee said, adding that coupled with these companies’ new AI engines, smart home is on track to take off soon.