I’d be willing to bet your home has some sort of smart or internet-connected device. Whether it’s a Nest Thermostat or WeMo smart plugs, the internet is invading our home one small piece of plastic at a time. The struggle with many of these devices, such as the Nest, is that it only provides a data point for one location in your home. While it is possible to add additional thermostats, that’s not a cost-effective solution for most consumers.
That’s where Koto comes in. Its recently launched Indiegogo campaign offers three different sensors that each collect and report on important measurable data in your home, like air quality or dust count. By doing so, Koto is able to paint a more reliable picture of your home’s health and can even recommend on how to improve it…
All together, Koto is launching three different products on Indiegogo. Each sensor provides different data points and connectivity but are all designed to work in unison. Every model offers Bluetooth and ZigBee wireless support for communicating with other Koto sensors and common smart home devices. The $69 Koto Blink is the smallest option with built-in sensors to collect temperature, humidity, light, and noise data. There is built-in storage and a rechargeable battery for collecting up to two weeks of data. The battery will need to be recharged every six months according to Koto.
The $119 Koto Air covers all the same readings as the smaller Blink but adds the ability to track dust and air pollution. This model has a built-in power supply, so it won’t need to recharge. The absence of Wi-Fi connectivity on the two smaller sensors means that you’ll only be able to capture data with your iOS or Android device when you’re at home. There is no cloud storage option unless you add in Koto’s largest option.
The Storm puts Wi-Fi in to the mix, which in turn brings internet connectivity to all the smaller Koto sensors as a bridge. This allows for tracking away from home and added functionality in storing data. Additionally, the Storm has sensors for temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and can sense approaching bad weather. This model is available for an early bird price of $149.
There will be an iOS and Android compatible application for monitoring and acting on data collected from Konto sensors. Additionally, an open source API is planned for added compatibility with other popular smart home devices.
Currently through 15 days, Koto has raised just over $30,000, which is good for 60% of its goal. There are additional funding options that offer deeper discounts for adding more sensors to your home. This project is set to ship in the spring of 2016 if it is fully funded. If you’re not ready to jump in with an Indiegogo project, we recommend checking out Samsung’s SmartThings line-up of products which also offers many of the same data readings. HomeKit users will find that Elgato’s line of sensors will also provide many data collection points with iOS connectivity in mind.
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