From smart glass to smart home - the wonders of Chinese startups

In the madrobots blog , we often touch on the topic of Kickstarter and its impact on the development of technology. A lot of interesting things come out of this conveyor of inventions, even more is promised. But today it's not about him - I suggest looking behind the Great Chinese Digital Curtain and wondering which projects are popular with the residents of the most populated country. In this article we will go over the catalog of the national Chinese platform for startups demohour and get acquainted with the most interesting and expensive projects.

1. Smart Plug K non-vinyl [ $ 278 297 ]

The leader in fundraising was the project Smart Plug K , a difficult controlled outlet. One Chinese entrepreneur offered his vision of a “green house” with universal energy saving and convenient control of home appliances.

But the project, even utilitarian, would not be Chinese without additional functions:

Remote inclusion of any technology. Supports 3G and Wi-Fi access;
"Extender" home network (Wi-Fi repeater) to read Twitter even from the attic and from the bathroom;
Automatic on or off multicooker and TVs. You can either just start the countdown or set up a schedule;
Automatically turn off the phone from charging when the battery is full. Of course, all modern gadgets try to do it themselves, but the socket will additionally insure against overruns of watts;
The socket is universal and supports all popular types of plugs. Of course, it does not look very glossy from this, but it is convenient.

In order to better appreciate the Chinese invention, I propose a short video with a pretty Chinese woman. But don't get too distracted - the developer in the comments was very keen to pay attention to the product itself, and not to the girl:

I just can’t understand one thing: why do the manufacturers of such gadgets think that the slow cooker will immediately start cooking something after plugging it into the outlet?

And good news for all lovers of smart devices - the Smart Plug K is already available on Amazon .

2. Cuptime smart glass non-vinyl [ $ 221 177 ]

Very interesting gadget to control drunk liters. We all know that you need to drink at least 1.5 liters of normal water a day for normal balance in the body. But who follow these guidelines? Being accustomed to office and coffee, we will not drink an extra cup of liquid without a separate reminder. Cuptime developers , this problem is also close, and especially for the workers of the chair and monitor invented "smart glass".

Cuptime independently monitors the amount of fluid consumed and reminds you of the skip of another portion. And this is not just a banal plastic flask with liquid sensors, but a real gadget with a lot of sensors: there is an accelerometer, sensors for touching the hand and spilled liquid. Even an overturned or overflowed glass will not be counted as drunk. Of course, the vessel is sealed and can be washed like a regular ceramic mug.

Already interesting, right? And to finally conquer all, the developers added a few more useful features:

Cuptime shows the temperature of the liquid using a three-color indicator so as not to burn yourself;
A smart glass via Bluetooth will contact iOS or Android, transfer consumption statistics and request additional instructions from the smartphone, since everyone has different water needs. But the basic features are available without a phone;
Water reminders can be both sound from the gadget itself and through the mobile application;
Included is a special "glass for glass", in it the gadget can be stored on the table. By the way, charging is not required here - Cuptime runs on two batteries with a stated lifespan of 6 months . Very convenient - turned on and forgot.

A small video from the exhibition where the glass was presented:

The project is at the stage of preparation for production, and in February shipment is promised. It is a pity that Cuptime is unlikely to fall outside the country in the near future.

3. Micro Socket non-vinyl [ $ 167,496 ]

We continue the theme of smart sockets. The list of successful projects demohour got a real electronic monster Micro Socket . An unusually shaped white plastic bar with a display on the front panel can be taken as a radio rather than a tech gadget. But the radio does not usually have a dual-core processor, touch controls, a mobile application, and Wi-Fi.

Micro Socket offers the sophisticated gadzhetomanu 4 universal sockets for all popular plugs and a pair of USB ports for charging all in a row. The device is designed for a total load of 10A and can supply 2.1A to each USB port. For each of the four sockets, flexible power management is available, both through the mobile application and using the touch panel.

Against the background of competitors, Micro socket is distinguished by the presence of several connectors for electronics and an integrated Wi-Fi network. And this is not just a repeater, but a full-fledged access point with router functions. I'm not sure that it is as functional as the top specialized models, but the average user will probably be enough.

The project has already been launched and can be found in the online shops of the Middle Kingdom.

4. BroadLink DNA [ $ 104 521 ]

BroadLink has conducted two successful demohour projects, each of which offered only separate functions for the smart home . And now a full-fledged portfolio of practical devices is available for assembling your own ~~puzzle~~ of a dream home without a soldering iron and extra expenses.

Smart Socket SP2

The main component of a smart house offers a standard set of functions for such devices, and even with the Auto Home \ Away function. That is, you may find out that you are not far from home and it’s time to start music and turn on the lights. There is also a universal connector with child protection.

RM-pro control station

Universal gadget to control all electrical and electronics. The language does not turn to call this thing a remote control, especially since the phone is actually becoming "lazy". RM-pro performs the role of such a repeater and operates both at radio frequencies (315-433 MHz) and in the infrared. I especially liked that there is no need to put a hub in each room. Thanks to radio support and a powerful emitter, the RM-pro can reach any angle.

Wall switch TC1

Wall switch with touch panel. Available in black or white colors and allows you to elegantly solve the issue of including lighting. Or audio-video equipment with air conditioning. Like all smart products, the TC1 is controlled from the phone and supports automatic activation on schedule or when the owner appears. In addition, the switch contains overload protection (holds up to 250W) and a refractory plastic housing. And you look at the design: the gloss is not plastic, but glass over the entire surface.

E-Air environment quality indicator

Externally, the device resembles an air freshener. Of those that produce a vigorous aroma right in the face, when you are standing in front of a mirror and you do not expect anything like that. But this will be smarter: e-Air measures the quality of air, the level of illumination and humidity in the room. In other words, he will tell you how much the atmosphere in the apartment reminds of the Alps. The only pity is that the baby is not able to clear the air, but he can give the command to open the vents.

It is even strange that the first place in this review is not BroadLink . The company has a wide range of fairly simple components for a smart home and no problems with the design or capabilities. By the way, the guys did not get hung up on the domestic market and presented their products on Amazon . In my opinion, a very interesting option if you want to add some technology to the apartment.

5. CCWATCH [ $ 68,496]

We will complete our small hit parade of the heavens ... of course, with the CCWATCH smartwatch . It seems that the smart watch has suffered the same trouble as the phones when the iPhone appeared. They became indistinguishable from each other, at least outwardly.

In CCWATCH we see a familiar square bar with a display and a pair of buttons, no design delights. Perhaps there is something interesting there, but the photos of the project do not indulge in different angles and resolution. But the declared possibilities are more or less clear:

Support for notifications from iOS and Android devices, the ability to accept and reject calls. True, the types of notifications and extensibility are not specified;
The traditional set of "young fitness tracker" with a pedometer, accelerometers and GPS support. Separately, you can note the built-in control of the exercise with the help of several internal sensors. It seems like you push out, and then the clock says what's wrong - the fifth point is too bulging up;
Built-in GSM-module for uploading data to the cloud. What about a clock without a cloud and publishing graphs on social networks?
Phone independent reminders of activities and affairs. The piece of iron can still remind of something depending on the location of the owner;
A good "charge of cheerfulness" - declared a week of work without plugging into the outlet. But here they are plagued by vague doubts, especially if we consider the initial stage of development.

On the project page there is an interesting picture with the evolution of a la CCWATCH:

It remains to wish the project good luck in the implementation of such ambitions.

Features of national crowdfunding

As it turned out, the same global trends are typical for Chinese platforms: smart home, smart watches, wearable electronics. There are really a lot of projects, both domestic and abstract. And this is despite the fact that “non-profile” projects such as filming a beautiful anime on a voluntary basis did not get into the frame. I fully admit that in the foreseeable future, investors from other parts of the world will pay attention to the Chinese sites, especially when English appears there. Why not? After all, the world's largest production facilities, the traditional Chinese diligence and a good sales market are close by.

PS We still opened a new store in the Mega Belaya Dacha shopping center. How to find us, you can find on our website .