Sending an alert during an intrusion is a passé and can no longer be considered intelligent. Smart is re-defined by today’s security systems. They study behavioural, temperature and humidity patterns, come with advanced processing techniques. Let us take a look at some of the latest and intriguing security devices from around the world
Abhishek A. Mutha
Most of the alarms generated by security products are usually false and, when that happens, there is great distress caused for everyone at the receiving end.
Security products today are packed with a lot of smart sensors. They study patterns, compare data and are designed to generate genuine alarms. Security devices are also much more interconnected to ‘things’ and are easy to install. Most devices are now just plug-and-play type hassle-free systems.
In this article we talk about select security products from a plethora of them released every year. Let us take them one at a time.
Intelligent device that generates genuine alarms
Would it not be great if you could have an intelligent home security system? A system that could be installed and configured easily, would recognise your everyday movements at home and your pets’ too, warn of even slight changes to generate genuine alarms and, last but not the least, synchronise with your smartphone to notify you.
A screeching alarm is really annoying, especially when it is a false alarm. But a new security system claims to behave like a live-in security guard, analysing house occupiers’ movements. It sends relevant notifications to avoid false alarms, such as those set off by a wandering pet.
Called Canary, this device can be easily connected to your existing Wi-Fi network and synced with a smartphone. If there is an intrusion, you are notified, so you can remotely trigger the in-built siren to scare off the intruders. The system also studies air quality, temperature, noise and humidity levels, and senses anything out of the ordinary, including rapid changes in temperature levels that could indicate a fire, for instance.
What makes this 15cm (6-inch) tall gadget so smart? It comes with a full arsenal of sensors. It sees through an HD video camera with night vision and 170-degree angle lens, microphone speakers to pick up sound and sensors for temperature, humidity and air quality. It also has triple-axis accelerometer and a passive infrared motion detector. It comes with a siren that sounds a 100dB+ alarm activated by the Canary app.
This device is highly customisable too. It can be activated at certain days in a week or at a particular time, probably when you are away. The different sensors that come with this device can be enabled and disabled depending on your needs. Alternatively, when certain parameters are triggered, the system can be set to record and store in video mode. Users can check into the system remotely and keep an eye on the house when on a holiday or on tour. The creators also claim that it has a bank-like encryption that prevents hackers from gaining access to your system or invalidate sensors during break-in.
Canary was founded by Adam Sager, formerly from Israel Defense Forces, Chris Rill, who built sensors for the US Military and Jon Troutman, former product design lead at General Assembly. It was successfully funded on an online campaign. In fact, it exceeded its pledged goal of $100,000 by a whopping 1962%! It is moderately priced at US$ 200.
