May 2009

Last time I covered the Lok8u watch that allows parents to track their children.  In this column I am going to cover one really innovative system which allows you to track what is happening in your home. 

It’s called “AlertMe” and is the product of a Cambridge based company, so as with Lok8u, another example of British innovation.  In this column, I have always focused on new approaches taken by manufacturers and particularly innovative products. AlertMe is in this category too. 

The system works on the principle that alerting someone that something is happening at home is more effective than an alarm going off which everyone ignores.  It uses broadband (or GPRS for fallback) to enable a list of people to be contacted (by phone, SMS, e-mail) if the sensors in your home detect a problem.  The sensors (motion, contact, alarm) are small unobtrusive and wireless and can be attached to surfaces with sticky pads.  Even a doorbell push button can be integrated into the system.  The sensors use the ZigBee wireless system to communicate with a hub unit which connects the broadband.  Zigbee is still relatively uncommon despite having been around a while but it is idea for this sort of application and means that the batteries in sensors should last for 18 months to two years. 

The interface to AlertMe is through a browser and so not tied to any particular computer operating system.  There is even an iPhone web application which enables status and control when out and about.  The  browser interface is very simple (as is the whole system) and provides graphs of signal level, battery level and temperature for each sensor.  Yes - each sensor has a temperature sensor in it so individual rooms in a home can be monitored. 

At the moment changing the heating system to optimise energy savings is by manual adjustment based on looking at the information AlertMe provides but a complete integrated automatic energy management package is on the way.  This is another first for such a system… not only is it user installable but the same sensors used for the security system can be used for energy management and home automation – three functions in all.  AlertMe can also track presence and occupancy which is a building block for all of these functions.  Cameras for remote monitoring and smart-plugs for controlling appliances are also in the AlertMe pipeline.  This is an innovative, simple and attractive system geared for the future as well as the present, and operated by a company that in my experience is a pleasure to deal with. 

This example shows that the future will be about bringing useful capability together in a simple way by exploiting appropriate technology

Note:While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, BT accepts no responsibility for information in Jonathan’s article, nor does the company endorse any product or service mentioned.