Sensors are increasingly making a foray into our homes in order to furnish and bring to life the concept of an automated smart home. This concept was rallied by the onset of device certification programmes like Apple’s HomeKit.
A new smart home-focused hardware start-up called Notion is in the market and aims at putting an app in the pocket of people to send automated reports of your domestic happenings.
The makers of Notion, Loop Labs, have built a network of sensors that are compatible with HomeKit and can be placed around your home for you to detect events in your house, including opening of doors, lights being switched on/off , a fire alarm going off, washing machine developing a leak, the fridge losing its cool, and also, how much gas is left in your barbecue propane tank!
Each device has sensors that can be used to detect and report various events, thereby letting you customise the function of the system to your home and lifestyle. You can also select how many sensor units you want to buy, and customise each one to a certain task. The sensors have an adhesive at the back that can be used to stick them to just about any surface.
You can customise the functions of these sensors with the help of a companion app. The makers are also offering an API to increase interest from third party developers to expand the scope of the device.
Each Notion contains seven sensors – accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, piezoelectric transducer, water leak probes, temperature sensor, and proximity sensor.
The sensors send the data to a wall-mounted hub unit that is connected to the Wi – Fi in your home to send the data to Notion’s cloud platform to process and store. The technology used for connectivity uses less power than Wi – Fi, so, everyday operation is efficient enough to enable each sensor’s battery to last for up to two years with normal use.
This smart home loop has a cloud platform. So, if you are concerned about privacy, then Notion might not be for you, for the cloud element is a requirement.
The creators claim high levels of security, with AES- encrypted data transfer protecting the sensor chatter. But, if you do not like the idea of anyone having sensor–based information of your domestic environment and know when you are at home and when you are out, then Notion and devices like it are not for you.
The device comes at a price. The most basic unit, which consists of one Notion bridge and one sensor, costs around $129. If you want three sensors along with the bridge, then you will have to shell out $199, and ten sensors with the bridge will cost you $439.
These sensors can be extremely useful for when you are not at home and have to leave pets, children, or old people behind.
