Engineers develop device that switches on household lights without rewiring

Now a new gadget will allow homeowners to flip their lights on and off using their mobile phone, without having to change all their current light fittings and switches.Engineers have developed a device that attaches on top of traditional light switches to enable them to be turned on and off from anywhere in the home.The […]

Now a new gadget will allow homeowners to flip their lights on and off using their mobile phone, without having to change all their current light fittings and switches.
Engineers have developed a device that attaches on top of traditional light switches to enable them to be turned on and off from anywhere in the home.
The developers say the device, called Switchmate, means households can benefit from smart lighting without the need for expensive rewiring.
Switchmate can be controlled using a mobile phone app over Bluetooth and uses a physical toggle inside the device to move the light switch.
Imagine walking into your living room after a stressful day at work, to find the lights automatically dim themselves to suit your mood.
It might sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but this is already possible, thanks to a gadget called Muse.
The device, which went on sale in the UK last week, is designed to track people’s brain waves, in the same way that fitness trackers count the number of steps a person has taken, or monitor their heart rate.
Users wear a plastic headband across their forehead, with sensors at the front and above the ears, to track their brain activity. This information is then beamed via Bluetooth to the user’s mobile phone or computer, where it is ‘translated’ into an image of a summer’s day in the country.
People who have lots on their mind will see clouds rolling across the screen, whilst those who manage to empty their thoughts will be met by a clear blue sky.
The product, developed by Ariel Garten, a Canadian neuroscientist and former fashion designer, launched in North America last year, and is designed to help people relax.
It can also be linked to lighting and heating systems, in order to change the feel of a room depending on the user’s mood.
According to Daniel Peng, co-founder of California-based Switchmate, the device works like a robotic finger for the lights in your home.
The app can be used to set timers so the lights come on at prearranged times or proximity so lights turn on when you walk into a room with your phone.