Tag Archives: Home-Security

Smart door lock offers key-free security without replacing your deadbolt

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You’ve probably seen sci-fi flicks that show how convenient it would be to just approach a house and have the door automatically open for you. While that might sound like the ultimate convenience, our current reality is far from reaching that idyllic future scenario. Never mind security concerns against hackers or, worse, software bugs, the requirements for installing smart door locks alone are enough to frighten off all but the most tech-savvy and capable of homeowners. Having to replace existing knobs and locks is a daunting and expensive task, which is why this “retrofit” smart door lock is so noteworthy as it allows almost anyone, especially those without much DIY experience, to install the lock in just minutes and still keep the same deadbolt they’ve been using for years.

Designer: Yale

On the one hand, it’s understandable why installing a smart door lock would require removing the old, not-so-smart one. Not only does it require electronic parts, it would also be advisable that all the parts actually work well together. On the other hand, it might not always be economical or practical to replace existing deadbolts, especially if you have quite an expensive design or are renting out rooms or houses. Retrofit locks try to bridge these two extremes and Yale just launched its first attempt at making life easier and less stressful for such people.

The new Yale Approach with Wi-Fi is a deceptively simple kit that promises you’ll only need around 10 minutes and a single screwdriver to install it over your existing deadbolt, depending on how familiar you are with some handiwork. It’s an indoor-only design so you only need to change that part of the lock and that’s all there is to it. Of course, you still need to plug in the wireless Yale Wi-Fi bridge somewhere near the Yale Approach and connect it to your network, but that’s pretty much on par with any other smart lock.

Once that straightforward installation is done, you can enjoy the key-free and sometimes hands-free experience of having a futuristic lock for your home. You can have it lock the door automatically once you’re out or even unlock it when you’re near, all without having to even pull out your phone. You can also give other people access, permanently or temporarily, to the lock, which is important for renters. Best of all, you can still use your old keys as a backup in case things go awry.

The Yale Approach with Wi-Fi arrives along with a new Yale Keypad that adds an extra layer of security to your new smart home system. This wireless backlit keypad can simply be stuck to a wall near the lock, allowing authorized users to simply enter a code to unlock the door. A future model will even come with a fingerprint sensor so you can stop worrying about memorizing all those numbers (or using an insecure sequence like “1234”). Depending on the situation, this new Yale combo might still be inadequate as far as smart security systems are concerned, but it’s still better than the alternative of going through all the work and costs of installing a new lock that you might end up not liking anyway.

The post Smart door lock offers key-free security without replacing your deadbolt first appeared on Yanko Design.

The EBO X is a BB-8 inspired security robot with a 4K camera, Alexa voice control, and support for ChatGPT

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Styled with an aesthetic that reminds one of the friendly BB-8 drone from Star Wars, the Enabot EBO X is your friendly home security robot that navigates around the house to patrol your living quarters. It comes equipped with a similar bulbous body that houses a built-in Harman speaker system, and a self-balancing two-wheel design that allows it to move forwards, backward, and turn 360° without any discomfort. On top, you’ve got a 4K camera that’s capable of facial recognition, and an inner brain that gives the EBO X multiple personas, from a patrolling bot to an adorable play-bot that engages with children. You can control your EBO X via a smartphone app, voice commands, or even communicate with it naturally through ChatGPT thanks to a firmware update that’s due to roll out soon.

Designer: Enabot Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $659 $999 ($340 off). Hurry, only 62/100 left! Raised over $430,000.

Standing at just 8.6 inches tall (with the camera lifted), the EBO X is a webcam on wheels that makes its way around the house, simultaneously entertaining you with its friendly attitude, while taking care of your house by scanning for intruders, or for potential safety risks like your fireplace, kitchen window, etc. It’s designed to be kid and pet-friendly, with a face that displays emotions, while simultaneously being alert enough to know when your kid starts crying, or if someone has a fall. Its remarkable facial recognition can even identify people and deliver reminders like telling the elders to take their medicines.

Smart Mapping – Provides EBO X with autonomous & accurate movement ability. Upon first use, EBO X will travel through your house using V-SLAM technology. This will allow EBO X to travel anywhere in the house.

Self-balanced Two-wheeled Design – EBO X ensures flexible mobility and high-precision motion control. EBO X can move around your home with ease and turn 360 degrees smoothly.

4K Stabilized Camera – EBO X’s 4K camera is one-axis stabilized, and the vertical angle is adjustable within a range of 104 degrees. EBO X has an 8-megapixel ultra low-light sensor and provides the super large 106-degree FOV.

Smart Tracking – If your child says “EBOEBO , follow me!”, EBO X will follow him or her anywhere it can reach, just like a loyal companion.

Edge Detection & Obstacle Avoidance – With multiple built-in dToF and ALS sensors, EBO X will stop itself from crossing any edge and avoid obstacles.

The way EBO X navigates your space is no different from state-of-the-art self-driving tech. For starters, the robot balances itself on two wheels like a Segway, with the ability to easily navigate your space regardless of the rugs and carpets you may have on the floor. Multiple dToF (Direct Time of Flight) and ambient light sensors help the EBO X map its surroundings and navigate spaces even in the dark, while an array of microphones located in EBO X’s crown help it not only hear sounds but also identify which direction they’re coming from. A 4K camera mounted on a 104° swiveling armature allows the EBO X to look up and down, while the robot can rotate side to side to give it 360° vision. The camera is backed by an 8-megapixel ultra-low-light sensor and a 106° field of view, being able to recognize faces of humans as well as pets, even in the dark. A privacy button lets you disable the EBO X’s camera and microphone on command, so it doesn’t inadvertently snoop on you.

Elderly Fall Alert – EBO X can be set to detect the fall-down of an elderly during auto-cruising. lf detected, it will send alerts through 3 optional ways to ask for help.

Crying & Call-for-help Alert – If your child is crying, EBO X will detect it and trigger an App call to you. Besides, EBO X will inform you through the App call if anyone at home is experiencing an emergency and calls for help.

Facial Recognition & Medication Reminder – At a scheduled time, EBO X can find the specific family member by facial recognition, and send the medication reminders in voice.

The EBO X boasts multiple modes that make it a pretty versatile bionic buddy to have around the house. While its most obvious function remains that of a security robot, the EBO X also happens to be a nice butler/companion to have around the house. It responds to voice commands, plays music through its Harman speakers, and engages with children and pets by zooming around the house and displaying colorful light patterns and effects. Its playful demeanor doesn’t take away from the fact that the EBO X is also a pretty capable surveillance bot. Apart from monitoring the house for anomalies or intruders, the robot also has fall-and-cry detection features that help alert you against incidents. You can designate certain parts of the house as anti-trespass zones and the EBO X will alert you if anyone ventures too close to them, and the camera, microphone, and speakers built into the robot also support two-way communication so you can talk to people at home while you’re away at work.

EBO X can be instructed, monitored, and customized through a number of input styles. The robot accepts voice commands for itself, and even has Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Assistant built-in, letting you give it instructions for your smart home. EBO X’s maker Enabot claims that the robot will support ChatGPT too following a future firmware update, making your robot much more intelligent at understanding nuanced commands. The robot also has touch-panels on its body for simple tasks like making calls or changing the robot’s eye colors. For more complex tasks as well as for monitoring the EBO’s surveillance footage, the app proves to be the most handy. The app gives you a POV of EBO X’s camera, and on-screen controls let you maneuver it like a personal drone, moving around the house. The app is also the EBO X’s alert center, sharing any video or images with you to alert you if there’s anything concerning.

With not one but two CES Innovation Awards under its belt along with a coveted iF Design Award, the EBO X is Enabot’s third home robot. Bigger and better than its predecessors, it still retains that cute demeanor that makes the EBO X such a wonderful companion to have in your home. Once configured, EBO X works autonomously for the most part, and will automatically head to its charging dock once its battery hits critical levels. Once charged, it gets back to surveilling your house, and sending you reminders and alerts based on its objectives. Each EBO X robot comes with its charging dock (and cable/plug), the EBO HOME app, a Quick-Start guide to get your EBO X rolling, and a 1-year warranty. At an early bird price of $659, the EBO X is about $1,000 cheaper than Amazon’s own surveillance bot, Astro… and comes equipped with extra free features like Fall Alert, Auto Cruising, Emergency Call, and the Medication Reminder. The EBO X is available for pre-order, with global shipping starting May 2023.

Click Here to Buy Now: $659 $999 ($340 off). Hurry, only 62/100 left! Raised over $430,000.

The post The EBO X is a BB-8 inspired security robot with a 4K camera, Alexa voice control, and support for ChatGPT first appeared on Yanko Design.

This spherical robot is your smart home guard and your family companion

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Our homes are starting to be filled with technology, and not just from the computers and smartphones that we use day in and day out. But despite all the advancements in software, AI, and human-computer interaction, these technologies still feel distant and almost impersonal. Even those “personal” AI assistants are nothing more than disembodied voices that can hear us and not much else. These devices and services do make life convenient, but they don’t always help us with the other important things in life, like connecting with or checking up with another, especially when we’re not at home. The average human spends 26 years of their life sleeping and 30 years of their life working. That leaves just 1~2 hours in a day to truly connect with family, elders, or pets if we’re lucky. With all that time apart and no one there to supervise, there can be a lot of concern about the health and safety of our loved ones. This is why Enabot created the EBO X, your family’s protector, companion, and playmate. Smart home security cameras just don’t cut it, especially because they lack that “human touch,” and that is the kind of connection that this adorable moving homebot is trying to make while also making sure that your family and house are safe.

Designer: Enabot Design

Click Here to Buy Now: $569 $999 ($430 off). Hurry, only 50/480 left! Raised over $280,000.

Smart Mapping – Provides EBO X with autonomous & accurate movement ability. Upon first use, EBO X will travel through your house using V-SLAM technology. This will allow EBO X to travel anywhere in the house.

Self-balanced Two-wheeled Design – EBO X ensures flexible mobility and high-precision motion control. EBO X can move around your home with ease and turn 360 degrees smoothly.

4K Stabilized Camera – EBO X’s 4K camera is one-axis stabilized, and the vertical angle is adjustable within a range of 104 degrees. EBO X has an 8-megapixel ultra low-light sensor and provides the super large 106-degree FOV.

Smart Tracking – If your child says “EBOEBO , follow me!”, EBO X will follow him or her anywhere it can reach, just like a loyal companion.

Edge Detection & Obstacle Avoidance – With multiple built-in dToF and ALS sensors, EBO X will stop itself from crossing any edge and avoid obstacles.

EBO X is, first and foremost, a smart guardian for the home and the family. Thanks to its self-balanced two-wheeled design and especially its smart mapping capabilities, it can go reach almost any part of your house. Despite this, users can set up restricted areas to protect their privacy. Not only can it map the layout of your house using V-SLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), detecting edges and deftly avoiding obstacles, it can see clearly no matter the time of day or night with its stabilized 4K camera and 8MP ultra low-light sensor. It can even hear and turn towards the source of a sound, following not only your voice but also a potential accident.

Elderly Fall Alert – EBO X can be set to detect the fall-down of an elderly during auto-cruising. lf detected, it will send alerts through 3 optional ways to ask for help.

Crying & Call-for-help Alert – If your child is crying, EBO X will detect it and trigger an App call to you. Besides, EBO X will inform you through the App call if anyone at home is experiencing an emergency and calls for help.

Facial Recognition & Medication Reminder – At a scheduled time, EBO X can find the specific family member by facial recognition, and send the medication reminders in voice.

Unlike even the smartest home security systems, the EBO X robot is also your family’s protector. It can detect and report when someone, especially an elderly person, has fallen down and alert family or emergency services. It can do the same for someone crying for help, calling your attention through the app. It can also help prevent accidents in the first place by reminding family members to take their medication, even when no one else is around. It can use facial recognition to find your loved one around the house and give them a gentle nudge to take their meds.

The robot, however, does more than just secure your home and safeguard your family. It puts a face on these technologies, literally and figuratively. EBO X’s cute face will endear itself to members of your family, regardless of their ages. It can follow kids around, ensuring their safety while also keeping them entertained with sound effects and music through its premium Harman AudioEFX speaker. EBO X also uses Alexa Voice Control, so every convenience is just a voice command away. The robot can take pictures of the whole family, or it can even take low-angle photos of your furry family members. It can act as a two-way communication between those at home and those far away, bridging the distance in a far more interesting way than a simple call.

Enabot designed EBO X with privacy protection at the forefront of our minds, and Enabot truly focused on user privacy and made some improvements. For example, all the media files could be optionally stored only on the local SD card, and you can use the privacy switch in the App to remotely turn off the gimbal camera. You can also physically press the gimbal button on the camera, which can completely obscure the camera from the product structure. When EBO X detects that the gimbal is completely closed, it will stop video recording. Besides this, the circular 4-array microphone at the top can also be powered off at the hardware level to ensure that the camera and microphone are not being monitored or bugged.

Protector, companion, and playmate, the EBO X robot puts an emphasis on the “home” part of smart homes. Combining three devices in one, the agile smart guardian keeps your family safe, entertained, and comfortable, creating an environment that you can truly call home. All these for a sweet Super Early Bird price of $569, a large $430 discount off its $999 MSRP.

Click Here to Buy Now: $569 $999 ($430 off). Hurry, only 50/480 left! Raised over $280,000.

The post This spherical robot is your smart home guard and your family companion first appeared on Yanko Design.

Enabot EBO X is a security robot that disarms you with its cuteness

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It’s becoming more common for houses to have at least one indoor security camera, whether to keep an eye out for intruders or to look out for the safety of family members and pets. Knowing that there’s an all-seeing eye inside your house can cause both peace of mind and uneasiness, especially because of the cold and impersonal way most of these cameras are designed. Not much of a problem if you’re staying by yourself, but living with kids and pets changes the atmosphere and the requirements significantly. Not only will you need something that can keep up with these fast-moving creatures, but they also need to be something that the young ones can approach with confidence. That’s the kind of robot that the upcoming EBO X is, combining the safety features of a security camera on wheels in the guise of a cute robot that your kids and even pets can befriend.

Designer: Enabot

Futurists had us believing that our homes will be filled with robots by now, but so far, only robot vacuums have become a more common novelty in some households. Admittedly, there aren’t many use cases for other robots to be moving around the house aside from cleaning and maybe assisting those with limited mobility. Enabot, however, has been introducing home robots that, at first glance, seem to be just sophisticated toys but can actually become important safety measures, at least if they work perfectly.

EBO X is the latest spherical wheeled robot from the company, and it can do everything that its predecessors can and so much more. That includes monitoring your house remotely or communicating via voice with whoever is at home. It can also follow moving objects, like pets and small humans, to take timely pictures or even sound the alarm if it detects something amiss.

What really sets it apart, however, is its human-centric design, specifically kid-centric. Enabot gave the EBO X not only a cuter face, with dynamic lighting that changes according to its functions, but also a smarter brain. It can respond to voice commands, for example, so that kids can converse with the robot as if it was their friend. It also has touch-sensitive zones on its side for activating features, giving a more tactile and more personal experience as well.

In some ways, the EBO X sounds like just an upgraded version of other EBOs before it. Its more approachable and more relatable design, however, makes a world of difference that turns the device from an advanced security system to a family friend. And if robots are going to start invading our homes, looking friendly and adorable can help integrate them better into our daily lives.

The post Enabot EBO X is a security robot that disarms you with its cuteness first appeared on Yanko Design.

This door lock concept protects your secret code from prying eyes

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Smart, Internet-connected door locks might seem new to our awareness, but there have always been more sophisticated door locks that go beyond the typical knob and key combination. Hotels, for example, make use of key cards, while some businesses have a variety of options that include biometrics. Residential houses, on the other hand, often make use of locks where you input a sequence of numbers on a keypad, practically their PIN for unlocking the gate or the door. This seemingly easy yet secure system has turned out to be quite flawed, so this door lock concept tries to fix that by literally flipping the device on its head, hiding the code you enter so that even you can’t see what you’re doing.

Designer: Minjeong Kim

If you’ve watched crime procedural TV shows, particularly fictional ones, you might already be aware of how door locks with keypads can be easily defeated. Someone might be able to simply see the numbers you tap into the lock, even without resorting to complicated strategies like deciphering key tones or analyzing the wear patterns on the keypad. It doesn’t inspire much confidence, especially in places where doors are near heavy traffic or within easy sight. You could opt for a smart door lock, which has its own risks, but that often involves a hefty sum in turn.

SEE-Cret_ is a door lock concept that proposes a simpler solution to this problem. It still uses a secret pattern that only you know in order to unlock a door. But instead of a string of numbers, it’s more like a pattern of presses that you make on four buttons only. What makes it different from the run-of-the-mill lock is that these buttons are actually hidden behind the door handle so that no one, not even you, can see which ones your fingers are pressing.

The idea is that you simply hold the handle with four fingers other than the thumb, placing them on top of the buttons. After pressing the secret sequence, you simply pull or push the handle to open the door, depending on the design of the handle. With the buttons hidden behind a large rectangular plate, there is no way anyone nearby will be able to observe you discreetly. The only way they can learn your pattern is by closely observing the movement of your knuckles, which isn’t exactly a trivial feat.

There is one small disadvantage to this otherwise simple solution. This method of entering a pattern requires muscle memory, which could be harder to develop compared to memorizing a series of digits. The concept also doesn’t mention any kind of feedback to subtly inform the person of an incorrect entry other than the door not unlocking at all. Still, it’s a rather interesting concept for a door lock, especially since it also replaces the door knob so that you are basically getting two for the price of one.

The post This door lock concept protects your secret code from prying eyes first appeared on Yanko Design.

This tiny smart home monitor keeps an ear out for the most important sounds at home

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Smart home security today is mostly about things we can see, from the people approaching our doorsteps to the things that go bump in the dark at night. While that might be the easiest way to identify visible things, it hardly encompasses all the things that could happen inside the house, whether you’re there or not. More often than not, the things that matter most can only be heard, whether it’s the cry of an infant or the shattering of a window. For these events, smart home cameras are really not enough, especially considering their limited presence. Fortunately, the solution is both simple yet also ingenious, as this small and rather cute smart home monitor proves.

Designer: Earzz

Click Here to Buy Now: $72 $100 (30% off). Hurry, only 279/400 left!

Some smart home security cameras do have audio detection that alerts you when something’s happening at home, even when you’re far away. It’s an all-or-nothing deal, however, and leaves it up to you to figure out what’s really happening out of sight. There’s also often a limit to the number of cameras you install around the house, often directly at security-critical spots only. All in all, these smart devices can’t cover the whole breadth of sounds around the house, especially the ones that you need to be aware of.

Place your Earzz devices where you want to listen for sounds.

Earzz offers a smarter way to keep your home safe and secure in a tiny package no bigger than the palm of your hand. That makes it easy to put it anywhere it’s needed, whether beside a window or on a kitchen countertop, without calling too much attention to itself. Both its size and its price make it possible to have a whole army of these around your house, becoming your virtual ears that are always on alert for important sounds, from the whistling of a kettle to the opening of the pet door.

In the Hallway – Doorbells, knocking, mail slots, window smash, and letterboxes amongst others.

In the Kitchen – Appliance beeps, water running, timers, alarms, whistles & latches and even fire and smoke alarms for added peace of mind.

In the Nursery – Crying, coughing, baby gates opening or closing, offering peace of mind for parents.

What makes Earzz truly special, however, is the expanding library of sounds that feeds into its AI, allowing it to identify and listen only to specific sounds. Each monitor can be set to be attentive to a specific set of sounds, allowing you to be more precise and more efficient in listening to what’s happening around it. Once it hears that sound, it fires off a notification to your phone instantly, even when you’re not at home, including information such as the type of sound and when it was heard. All of these settings, of course, can be tuned and controlled from Earzz’s mobile app, available for both iOS and Android devices.

Earzz AI recognizes sounds NOT speech.

Since this smart home monitor listens only to sounds and not human speech, Earzz has the privacy advantage over smart speakers that need to be constantly attentive to what humans nearby are saying. Once sound clips are identified, the sound clips as recorded are automatically deleted from the device. Earzz also uses advanced security and encryption to ensure that any data that goes to and from the device is safe from prying eyes and ears.

We live in a world that’s full not only of sights but also of sounds, some of which are more important than others when it comes to home security. Rather than relying simply on what a few security cameras can tell you, the Earzz smart home monitor truly keeps an ear out for the sounds that matter to you. For just $71, which includes the Earzz Standard subscription upgrade for free for Super Early Bird backers on Kickstarters, you can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing what is happening at home, even if you’re not around to hear it.

Click Here to Buy Now: $72 $100 (30% off). Hurry, only 277/400 left!

The post This tiny smart home monitor keeps an ear out for the most important sounds at home first appeared on Yanko Design.

This smart lock concept keeps a watchful eye on sliding doors and windows

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Although people have been keeping their valuables at home for ages, our homes themselves have now also become more valuable because of the plethora of advanced devices that power them. Smart locks for smart homes are becoming more common in the market, even though not everyone is still convinced of their foolproof security. That said, threats don’t only come through the front door, though, and typical smart locks can’t do anything about windows or other types of doors, for that matter. There is definitely a market waiting to be conquered here, and this smart lock module concept is designed specifically to target one particular type of door or window, the type that slides open to give access to the people and treasures inside your humble abode.

Designer: Haechan Ryu

Typical smart door locks are designed to work only with the most common type of front door, the one that has a knob to turn and swings open or close. Their designs are pretty much pointless for sliding doors, which are sometimes easier to break into because of their location at the back or sides of houses. This kind of door offers an opportunity to design not only a different type of lock but also a lock that offers a convenience you might not be able to have with the conventional smart door lock.

The Plus Link Z concept, designed to work with a real-world Plus Link smart home security platform, is practically the combination of a smart door lock, a security camera, and a slide door opener. The first two functions are pretty much on par with any kind of smart lock, allowing the homeowner to remotely lock or unlock a door as well as keep an eye on people outside the door. It might be possible to eventually add some sort of face recognition to this external camera, but monitoring is its primary purpose for this design.

What makes this IoT security module a little different is that it can also automatically open and close the sliding door. Typical smart door locks can only lock and unlock doors, leaving you to manually push or pull the door. The Plus Link Z uses motorized gears that run the door’s top frame to slide it left or right. Because of this design, it isn’t necessary to change or modify the door itself, and you simply have to install the security module above it and the attached camera on the outside.

The Plus Link Z concept, while innovative, also looks a bit complicated and probably needs a professional to install it. It also raises concern whether those gears will eventually damage the door frame through its friction. Nonetheless, the idea itself is commendable in trying to tackle an often overlooked security problem at home, where the front door might be smartly secured while the other doors and windows are left vulnerable to a simple break-in.

The post This smart lock concept keeps a watchful eye on sliding doors and windows first appeared on Yanko Design.

Squid Game home security camera guards your home, keeping you safe without any violence!

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While I would have wished the Squid Game security was themed on the cold expressionless masked character, the “Front Man”, this design is a perfect addition for every pop-culture enthusiast!

If you haven’t heard of Squid Game, you must be living under a rock! Hunger Games was already your cup of tea, then a highly viral South Korean dark series trending on Netflix should be on your binge-watching list. If you’ve already watched the 9 episode Squid Game series, then it’s highly likely you’ll fancy this home security camera. The accessory themed around Squid Game is inspired by the workers monitoring the activities of players on a CCTV monitor.

The ruthless workers in the viral series will now adorn the secure corners of our homes, as the security camera keeps us safe – well, a cliche of sorts. The rotating lens positioned right where the eyes of the character would provide a 180-degree view of the surroundings for complete security. The movement is actuated by motion and an audio sensor that sets the camera into action, tracking the movement. Since most security cameras attached to the servers can have access to all the inside activities when not intended by the user, the creators of this concept add a useful feature. To make sure there are no hacking attempts or unauthorized access to the footage, there is a privacy mask that physically blocks the FOV when the camera is not in use.

Since we are living in a world where Zoom meetings and online classes are the new normal, the Squid Game camera has its own light illumination. The light intensity can be adjusted as per the user’s need or level of ambient lighting in the room. The designers Cheon Ryong Choi, Soonook Kwon and Jaeyeon Nam have created two other themed versions of this cute little home security camera. One carrying an oxygen cylinder on the back like an astronaut and the other dressed in a raincoat and umbrella. Personally, I will stick to the Squid Game character, if ever such a security camera met fruition.

Designer: Cheon Ryong Choi, Soonook Kwon and Jaeyeon Nam

These smart home-security systems guard your home better than Google Nest could!

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When it comes to the security and safety of our home, that is something that cannot be joked around with at all. Our homes are where our loved ones and we spend the majority of our time, they’re considered our safe haven, and it’s extremely crucial that we keep it that way. Installing home security systems and cameras in our homes allows us to ensure that our home is always protected against any foreign threats, and not to mention it lets us take a breath of relief when we aren’t home. However, selecting a home security system is a Herculean task by itself. Picking a foolproof, highly functioning and well-engineered home security system is critical, and hence we’ve curated a collection of trustworthy designs that’ll help you step out of your home in peace!

The Always Home Cam (as it’s called) expands on Ring’s home security line-up, giving you a camera that sits INSIDE your house rather than at the entrance of it, like the Ring’s more popular video doorbells. When it detects a break-in, the flying camera un-docks from its station and travels to the intruder, capturing their face on video, which is beamed to the owner’s phone (and possibly even the police, considering Ring’s partnerships with local police forces). It’s designed to activate only when the owners aren’t at home and come with a completely enclosed propeller system so that it doesn’t harm anyone or any pets as it flies around the house to surveil intrusions. When docked, the camera’s station completely encloses the drone’s stem, which contains the lens, preventing it from being able to ‘spy’ on its owners.

The HeimVision Assure B1 is a culmination of a lot of good ideas into one, neat package. It’s a CCTV but works as a two-way audio teleconferencing device too. It runs via an app, but can even be commanded via Alexa, making it simple to use without needing your phone around. The Assure B1’s basic kit (that’s the $79 one) comprises one wireless camera and one central hub that sits within your home. The camera features a tripod-mount for easy installation and runs on rechargeable AA batteries for a solid 12 months (with the option of hooking it to a solar panel for uninterrupted continuous power). The camera unit is a small, robust little device that weighs a mere 181 grams, but packs a solid punch. It can capture video in 2K Ultra HD with a 130° FoV, and even sports colored night-vision. Fitted within its Stormtrooper-esque white and black body is also a passive infrared sensor that can detect motion as well as identify humans.

angee_camera_5

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Angee, the smart camera for your home, is tackling issues we didn’t know we had already – privacy. With the ability to rotate a full 360 degrees, Angee faces away when it realizes that you’re home. This is a fantastic solution to the paranoia of constantly being watched. Even unplugging a smart camera at home isn’t enough – the lens just glaring away, staring at you…no thanks. Angee does require an additional device to be attached to the front door to determine when it should be actively recording. Probably not the most practical alert system considering Nest and various other home cameras will detect movement automatically. However, that being said, that’s a small price to pay for the luxury of privacy.

Meet Lucy, an AI bot that fulfills the jobs of a Roomba as well as a Nest Security Cam. With an auto-navigation system guiding it, a 3000Pa vacuum underneath it, and a day-and-night wide-angle camera on the front of it, Lucy does floor-sweeps and security-sweeps at the same time. It relies on its in-built guidance system to segregate your house by the room, allowing it to clean or monitor individual rooms at a time. Built with a battery that gives it 2 hours of performance, Lucy can navigate rooms, avoid no-go-zones, and even patrol your house based on a route you set. Lucy’s ability to clean as well as screen your household (I have no shortage of clever phrases) is thanks to its 6-core ARM System-on-a-Chip, which allows it to run as efficiently as it does. The AI-bot comes equipped with a depth sensor and a 1080p camera that can detect objects as little as 1-inch high, allowing it to avoid toys, books, socks, or anything that may be lying around on the floor, and directly target dust, dirt, crumbs, and furballs. The camera’s human and pet-recognition allows it to avoid, but most importantly surveil living obstacles, pinging you if it sees someone new. Video instantly gets streamed directly to your phone so you know if there’s ever an intruder breaking into your house, and an intercom system literally lets you speak to family members or intruders right through the app and Lucy’s native microphone and speaker setup.

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Meet, ORBIT, designed to work with existing smart systems, and carrying a design that shares its DNA with materials intended for space exploration, we certainly think it’s a desirable piece of kit! Packed within the simplistic, polycarbonate exterior is not one, but two cameras; positioned at the top is a 360° camera for unparalleled coverage, while the bottom remains stationary and boasts a wide-angle lens! Its designer, Max Dahl, considered every aspect of the product in great detail, this is particularly noticeable in its sleek packaging; Orbit arrives in a cylindrical tube that shares the same, speckled, finish as Orbit, once opened the device is displayed on a pedestal surrounded by the logical organization of the complimenting accessories!

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Hive’s View security camera seems a lot like the latter kind of product. Designed by Yves Behar and Fuseproject, the Hive View looks like a GoPro on a throne that swivels 360° on both vertical and horizontal axes, allowing it to point any which way you choose. The aluminum arm that holds the camera even transfers power to the cube-shaped camera that can be detached from its base, extending the functionality of the security camera in a way that lets it be your home security as well as your personal security device. The camera comes with sound as well as motion detection, and captures everything within a 130° viewing angle in stunning 1080p HD, allowing you to playback your security tapes on your phone via the cloud. Its classy ‘throne’ can be placed on any surface or even wall-mounted, allowing you to virtually put the camera anywhere you, please.

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Deep Sentinel develops security cameras and AI that set up a security perimeter around your house, but that’s not all they do. Deep Sentinel doesn’t just record any criminal activity… it prevents it. Behind the camera and the security, the hub is Deep Sentinel’s growing team of surveillance guards who tirelessly sit and monitor footage. They instantly get an alert when something seems off, like if a stranger is approaching your window, or trying to pry open your door. The ‘LiveSentinel Surveillance Guards’ have a two-step procedure for dealing with this. Deep Sentinel’s cameras also come with a speaker module, allowing the agents to warn the criminals to stop. As the criminal looks at the camera, Deep Sentinel’s agents send the evidence to the nearest police station, calling for help. The system relies on three components that work together to make it incredibly successful. A. Artificial intelligence that detects people, animals, and objects and interprets behavior in real-time, segregating friendlies from non-friendlies, B. a team of guards or Sentinels that bring the element of human reconnaissance to the experience, and finally, C. the police force, which gets alerted promptly and with the necessary evidence.

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The Halo Classic is more than just a smart camera, what makes this camera special are its features – a fully wireless experience and a battery life that lasts up to 6 months long, 6 MONTHS! The Classic is designed to look and feel like a premium product with its choice of sophisticated material choices and elegant forms, chosen to complement the aesthetic of any living space. The Halo Vantage is the only in-ceiling smart camera. Disrupting the smart camera market once again with the Vantage, Halo has taken a different perspective on the at-home, smart camera. The smartest aspect of the Halo Vantage is the ability to simply “install Halo Vantage into an existing recessed light fixture to achieve a superior point of view with a discreet appearance.” The Halo Vantage is a wireless design once again, however, it gets its power from the mains, through the existing light bulb fitting – as well as having a backup battery with 14 days of power in it. This is truly a discrete form of monitoring your house and keeping the place safe.

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We go to great measures to secure our homes with all sorts of locks, gates, gadgets, and gizmos, so why not take the same security measures for the other places we dwell? That’s the idea behind Convoy. Like the name suggests, this portable security system is a true companion that you can take anywhere with you whether you’re hanging at home or on vacation. Its modular monitoring units become your personal team dedicated to ensuring wherever you are (or aren’t) is secure. Leave one at home while you’re at work to keep a watchful eye on your property. Take one with you on a trip to check in on your accommodations. Better yet, you can see what’s happening in multiple places at once no matter where you’re at.

Regular keychains do just half the job by stopping the buck at vaguely collecting your keys, rather than recognizing and solving any problems that arise around key-carrying. They’re impossible to use in the dark, or even in the day-time if you’ve got too many similar-looking keys, and unless they’re strapped to your pants via a retractable cord, they can get stolen or lost… however, that isn’t quite the case with the Ekster Key Holder. Designed to categorically solve the aforementioned problems (and look pretty sleek too), the Ekster Key Holder proposes a more structured approach. It features a holder that arranges your keys in a defined linear pattern so you know which key is where. Got similar keys for your home door and your garage door? Arrange them so you know the home-key comes first and the garage key comes second. Moreover, the Key Holder even comes with a Chipolo-based tracker that lets you constantly keep tabs on the location of your keys. The tracker lets you precisely pinpoint your key-holder on a map, letting you see where you left it last… or better still, letting you track its movement in real-time if it gets stolen. You can even “ring” your keys via your phone, and they’ll immediately begin buzzing wherever they are.