There’s a desire to make our homes smarter and simpler to control, enabling systems to take action automatically based on the time of day, temperature or individual needs of the user. Canary is looking to nail this area with a smart security device that’s launching on Indiegogo today under the same name.
It’s a sleek, cylindrical tube that packs a dizzying number of sensors to track almost everything happening inside a house or apartment. A HD video camera with a wide-angle lens is equipped with night vision and is backed up by a beefy microphone, 3-axis accelerometer and temperature, humidity and air quality sensors.
Throw in some RGB LEDs, a speaker, ear-splitting siren and motion detection via passive infrared, and it’s easy to see why Canary is being pitched as an all-in-one solution.
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The device is designed to constantly analyze the user’s home and learn what is deemed to be ‘normal’ living conditions. When these change, or Canary decides that a notable incident has occurred, it relays the new readings to the user through a purpose-built smartphone app.
The idea is that the longer you own Canary, the smarter it becomes. For instance, living in a particularly hot climate means that the user might want to leave their windows open at all times – theoretically, the device should know that this doesn’t mean a burglar, ninja or highly trained assassin is about to enter the room.
Canary is easy on the eyes and the smartphone interface looks equally appealing. When an alert comes through, users can read a quick message about the change but also take immediate action if necessary. These include making a phone call, sending a personalized message or triggering the in-built siren, alerting neighbors or anyone in the surrounding area.
The Canary app can also be used to check-in with the WiFi-enabled device at any time, looking at weekly trends for data sources such as indoor humidity, temperature, ambient noise and so-on. It’s not quite the same as Nest, which will actually alter the heating in the home, but it looks like an effective means of monitoring a property.
The app can also be used to arm and disarm Canary through geofencing – so users won’t need to punch in a code every time they enter or leave the house – as well as some hefty encryption and customizable privacy settings.
The device is available in matte black, silver and classic white, and consumers can reserve a unit right away by pledging at least $149. The Indiegogo campaign ends in 36 days and Canary is looking for $100,000 in total to take the device to market.
“We designed Canary to not only keep people safe, but to be a beautiful and friendly addition to their homes and lives,” said Jon Troutman, Canary co-founder and Design Director. “From the beginning, we focused on designing a product that would be simple and intuitive to use. Canary empowers people to protect their homes and families, without adding any unnecessary frustration or friction into their daily routines.”
Image Credit: Canary
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