Light Sentry Offers A Smarter Lighting Solution For Home Automators
by Joe White
June 11, 2014
We've talked about Belkin's WeMo line and Philips Hue bulbs before, but one Kickstarter project -- Light Sentry -- promises backers a smarter, more intelligent light automation system that relies on sensors rather than Internet-based rules.
Unlike WeMo and Hue, which are limited to fairly simple rule systems, Light Sentry allows users to implement light sensors in order to create conditional rules for the lights in your house.
For example, while a WeMo-connected lamp or Hue bulb can pull sunrise and sunset times from the Internet using IFTTT, Light Sentry, as AppleInsider explains, indeed lets users set up a more accurate rule based on multiple conditions:
For example, a time conditional setting could prompt a user's foyer lights to turn on at 6 a.m. but only if it's dark, say in winter. This set-and-forget feature allows Light Sentry to basically take care of itself throughout the year and is something only a sensor-based system can provide.Light Sentry communicates with its line of lights, dimmers, and "Power Gates" using Bluetooth 4.0, and like Belkin's WeMo, the product can be used with standard lamps and lighting. However, it's the product's ability to monitor "personal" sunrise and sunset times which sets Light Sentry apart from its competitors. The only problem with Light Sentry, however, is that it's aiming for a $200,000 funding goal on Kickstarter and, with three days to go, the product is falling short of this target. For a pledge of $269, home automators can go all-in with a pack that includes a natural light sensor, a hub, and three Power Gates for your appliances. To find out more about Light Sentry, head over to its Kickstarter Web page.
