A new start-up is looking to bring a hassle-free smart home to consumers without them having to worry about rewiring. Swidget, which launched on Kickstarter this week, is a modular electrical outlet designed to turn anyone’s home into a smart one. It uses the existing wiring in your house and replaces the traditional electric outlets with an outlet capable of using snap-ins.
Once installed, you can use the inserts to connect with all kinds of smart home systems and integrations. Some of the more notable inserts are: Wi-Fi connectivity, security camera, carbon monoxide sensors, Bluetooth speaker, motion and temperature sensors, Amazon Echo extension, USB ports, with many more to on the way.
Swidget is definitely not an ordinary outlet. You can install it using your home’s existing wiring and it will provide an “ever-growing suite of inserts to make your home a smart home.” Through its minimalist design, the creators of Swidget wanted to eliminate the need for clunky hardware in your smart home. The aim of Swidget, according to founders Chris Adamson and Lowell Misener, is to “future proof” a home. The Canadian engineers have been working together designing systems for space missions for years, working with NASA, the Canadian and European Space Agencies, and SpaceX.
The way Swidget works is by snapping in an insert, which can be controlled by your smartphone or tablet through an app, or your existing smart home hub. Typically the app is tied to a specific insert and compatible with Smartthings, Nest, Google Home, Alexa, and others.
Whether you are an early adopter, a smart home enthusiast, or new to the smart home scene all together, the Swidget promises to work well for everyone. The outlet looks simple and familiar enough and it operates just like a normal electrical outlet until a Swidget insert brings it to life.
With 35 days left in its campaign, Swidget is sure to reach its funding goal. If you would like your own Swidget a pledge of $38 will get you in on the early-bird special. If all goes as planned, shipping will start in June of 2018.
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