As adoption of smart home devices increases, you may find yourself with a smart home device for a specific function, and a different one for another, and so on. Living Labs is looking to reduce the number of smart home devices you need with Beacon, a multi-sensory cube that monitors air quality, provides bio-rhythmic lighting, and allows users to stream music.
“In cities around the world, air pollution and its risk to our health is an increasing worry,” commented Kingsley Hull, Living Labs director. “The EU commission recently issued a final warning to the UK and 4 other countries about their air quality levels, yet progress is slow. Beacon is our way of helping users seize control over their environment and improving their quality of life.”
The smart home device has been in development for the past two years and will have easy-to-use buttons and a companion app for iOS and Android to further control its functionality.
Beacon’s capabilities include:
- Environmental sensors – Beacon is capable of monitoring temperature, humidity and pollutant gasses (Ammonia, Sulphur, Benzene, Ozone, NO & NO2, Smoke, and CO2)
- Bio-rhythmic lighting – With a light that can adjust its output and intensity between 2500k – 6000k & 3-2500 lumens, Beacon is designed to emulate the different natural light stages of a day and match your circadian rhythm.
- High-fidelity speakers – Beacon’s 2×4-watt speakers have a frequency range of 20hz-20,000hz. Play your favourite music by connecting your phone to Beacon over Bluetooth, or use the in-built dynamic sounds and noises
- Built-in dynamic sounds/noises – Living Labs has collaborated with Dr. Stéphane Pigeon, the sound professional behind myNoise.net, to pre-load Beacon with a collection of natural sounds and ambient noises
- Always alert – Receive real-time status updates on air quality and control key Beacon settings through the mobile app, which will be available for iOS and Android. The Beacon logo on the device doubles as a method of receiving key notifications such as a change in environment
Beacon also features Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, 2 USB charging ports, a headphone jack, and the app will be compatible with iOS 8+ and Android 4.3+ devices.
Living Labs is currently raising manufacturing funds in an “all or nothing” Kickstarter campaign that will run for the next month. The project has a £60,000 goal and will only be funded if it reaches its full goal. The early bird special, which is limited to 149 units, will set you back £159 (roughly $199USD) and once that is gone you can pledge £189 (~$236USD) and save off the estimated retail price of £289 (~$360USD). You can also add £38 (~$48USD) to class it up a bit with additional wood effects.
Beacon in white and with wood trim.
What do you think about Beacon from Living Labs? Is it a project you’ll be backing? Let us know in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
