A British inventor has come up with Piper, an all in one security and smart home sensor system that can be controlled from the user's mobile. And the best part? There are no fees once it's been bought.
The basic Piper unit includes a 180-degree HD panoramic camera that can be panned, tilted and zoomed, in 1080p, remotely. This also has a motion detector and 105-decible siren. Alerts can be sent via text, phone, email or push notifications when security rules are triggered.
But Piper is more than just a security system, it's integrated via Wi-Fi for future-ready smart homes. With its Z-Wave accessories like the plug users are able to integrate other devices. By plugging a light into the Smart Switch plug they can turn a light on or off from their mobile anywhere in the world.
So say you had the system set to alert you when motion was detected on your driveway or near your front door. You can then check the camera, and if you see some dodgy sorts, activate a light in a room to scare them off before they've even attempted a break-in. It's not clear if this process can be automated but using ITTT or Piper's own software but you probably could set all those actions to make them happen automatically. Check back for our review soon.
Other sensors measure ambient light, sound and even humidity. These could prove useful for having the alarm turn off at daylight when you awake, for example.
The Piper kit works with Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. The basic unit starts at $199 and can be bought with 3 Z-Wave accessories from $339, both are on sale in the US now. Piper will go on sale in the UK by mid-July from £119.