Smart home users want to control home appliances from mobile devices, while some of them think it troublesome to install smart switches. A sticky-note-like device ‘Switch-Bot’ is designed to make home-owners possibly to control every switches at home from an app.
Smart home users want to control home appliances from mobile devices, while some of them think it troublesome to install smart switches. A sticky-note-like device ‘Switch-Bot’ is designed to make home-owners possibly to control every switches at home from an app.
Switch-Bot uses mechanical theory to press any switches with a robot-like finger, and users control the robot finger from an app on their Android or iPhone. Simply attach the small Switch-Bot upon a button or switch using 3M mounting tape, then the user can start controlling it remotely.
The little robot works with a hub called Switch-Link, which connects to the home Wi-Fi to enable the app functions and communicates with the smart switch via Bluetooth to lower battery consumption. According to the company, each Switch-Bot’s battery lasts up to two years.
Compared to other smart switches, users are not required to open the electric circuit on the wall and install a new remote control switch to achieve remote-controls from the app.
More, Switch-Bot supports IFTTT protocol to bring more smart home applications possible. For example, users can turn on the TVs when sports channel ESPN updates or to turn off lights with voices.
According to the company, Open APIs for Switch Bot will also be released in the near future. And both the Switch-Bot and Switch-Link will support platforms like Ardunio, Raspberry Pi and OpenWRT.
The limit of connecting via Bluetooth is that the devices cannot be placed too far away from each other. Switch-Bot and Switch-Link says to offer maximum 80 meters connection distance.
The product has started its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter and expects to start shipping in March 2017. The Starter Kit, which comes with two Switch-Bot devices and one Switch-Link, will cost $89.