Tag Archives: Smart Remote Control

This improved smart remote takes an ergonomic and intuitive design to improve your Netflix experience!

Posted on by

Nowadays, streaming is the lay of the land. Whether it’s music or television, streaming can bring us entertainment almost as soon as we think of it. Designer and MIT student Shivang Vaishnav had designed a TV remote specifically configured for streaming called Capsule, which, following a year’s worth of improvements, he has revisited to make even simpler and ergonomic– the ideal partner to instant gratification.

Brainstorming on ways the remote’s functions could be streamlined, Vaishnav took a year to fine-tune some visual improvements for Capsule. Lengthening the remote’s body and incorporating sensor touchpads, Vaishnav’s Capsule design still configures the remote’s buttons in the order by which they’ll most frequently be activated. For instance, the touchpad could work as the remote’s browsing wand, which precedes the remote’s display of arrows that work to focus on different searches, ultimately leading to the array of buttons that can be used during viewings, such as pause/play and rewind/fast-forward.

Ditching the cognitive obstacles of traditional remotes to make the search process quicker, Vaishnav maintained Capsule’s optional landscape orientation and voice input methods. Users can either use Capsule’s built-in microphone to vocalize various titles and search keywords or users can type in the film’s title or keywords by holding the remote horizontally and typing with two sets of navigational buttons at the same time. Built to be ergonomic by design, Capsule’s shape keeps the cylindrical shape of a traditional television remote and features an off-center groove on its underbelly to indicate the remote’s upright position.

Designer: Shivang Vaishnav

Designed to adapt to current smart TV hardware, the combination of matte surfaces and stainless steel accents make Capsule feel right at home on the console.

By including stainless steel accents, the shadows found on Capsule work to make it appear a lot slimmer from certain angles.

Capsule still features voice command technology for those who prefer it over typing.

Designed to fit naturally in your palm, Capsule was built with an ergonomic design.

Users can also type in movie titles by holding the remote horizontally and typing with the remote’s adjacent navigational buttons.

One Clever Clicker

Posted on by

smart_remote_01

One button. One screen. That’s all you need for limitless control over your smart TV with this equally smart remote control concept! Inspired by the Samsung design language, this clever clicker makes it easier than ever to do everything from fine tune picture quality to adjusting the volume using an unitive touchscreen interface. Users can even browse the guide without interrupting their current program by scrolling through it directly on the screen. With a simple tap they can preview channels on the touchscreen or even watch multiple media at once!

Designer: Jae kyoung Oh

smart_remote_02

smart_remote_03

smart_remote_04

smart_remote_05

smart_remote_06

smart_remote_07

My N3RD Lets You Control Gadgets from Remote Locations

Posted on by
My N3RD Smartphone-Controlled Smart Switch for Gadgets 03

Wild Hare’s My N3RD is a smartphone-controlled device that gives you total control over your gadgets, regardless of how far you are from them.

This smart switch does more than just opening your garage door or turning on one of your light fixtures. My N3RD (that’s basically 1337 for nerd) is capable of turning on or off anything that has a switch. On top of that, the device turns the said things into smartphone-controlled gadgets.

Wild Hare’s Derick Schweppe gave a very detailed explanation of how My N3RD works: “In the simplest of terms, My N3RD is a smart switch. It allows you to upgrade switches to remote control via your smartphone or give a simple switch some more intelligence, like the ability to be latched or set to a timer. My N3RD also works with a variety of power sources, so it can be used for home automation type functions or in a mobile environment like the car.”

According to Schweppe, the Internet of Things could suddenly become something much bigger if My N3RD would be put to use: “It is true that in some cases wiring My N3RD to a device could void its warranty, but we think our customers will be willing to do so in order to upgrade an obsolete device into a smart connected one.”

Schweppe also pointed out the dramatic change that is caused by adding My N3RD to common gadgets: “Other products on the market do not have the versatility to work as a mobile solution or to change the switch functionality of the device. Most products only allow the consumer to control the AC power to the appliance, which makes them ineffective for appliances with standby modes and more sophisticated controls.”

The company is currently looking for funding on Kickstarter, and it looks like Schweppe is very optimistic about this campaign: “We are very confident we will get funded. However, in the event that we do not reach our goal, we will take the feedback from the campaign and go forward with developing and launching My N3RD. We will continue to pursue OEM clients and develop the My N3RD ecosystem through those partners. We would love to see the My N3RD technology in as many products as possible, and we are pursuing relationships with IFTTT and other Cloud Based Technologies.”

For this campaign, there are no early bird spots, but $75 can secure you a My N3RD module. Assuming that the project will get funded (and by the looks of it, there’s no doubt about that), the modules should be ready to ship in July.

If you liked this post, please check the RoboRoach app that lets you control robot insects and the Logitech Harmony Ultimate Hub.