Fingerbot Plus Brings Physical Actuation to Your Smart Home
Fingerbot Plus is a small IoT device that gives you the ability to physically press any button in your home, so you can automate everything.
IoT and home automation systems are gaining popularity, because they make life more convenient. Instead of having to cross the room to turn off a light, you can ask a smart assistant device, like the Amazon Echo, to turn off your smart light bulb. But your home is likely full of old-fashioned "dumb" devices that still work fine. Replacing those with smart IoT devices is expensive. And, in many cases, there aren't IoT options available. The Fingerbot Plus is a small IoT device that gives you the ability to physically press any button in your home, so you can automate everything.
Fingerbot Plus launched on Kickstarter a few days ago, but its campaign has already raised more than $40,000. Adaprox successfully launched the original Fingerbot device through Kickstarter early last year, but the new Fingerbot Plus offers a handful of improvements. Like its predecessor, the Fingerbot Plus is a small device that you can stick onto anything in your home. It has a little motorized arm designed for pushing buttons. The companion app lets you setup when your Fingerbot Plus devices press their buttons. That can happen according to a simple timer, when manually triggered, or in reaction to a variety of events.
For example, you can place a Fingerbot Plus onto the switch for your ceiling fan. If your smart thermostat detects that the temperature in the room exceeds a particular threshold, the companion app can tell the Fingerbot Plus to flip the switch to turn on the fan. You can control anything with a button or switch in this manner. Creative types can even find more unique applications for the Fingerbot Plus. For instance, you can attach a bell to the arm and have it jingle when you tell Alexa that dinner is ready.
The Fingerbot Plus looks a lot like the original Fingerbot, but it has a few improvements. The most obvious are a touchpad on the device to allow for manual control and customized loops in the companion app. It also has improved battery life, an extended WiFi range, and a redesigned battery compartment that makes it easier to replace the battery. Battery life is now estimated at 8 months, so you shouldn't need to replace it often.
If you want to get your own Fingerbot Plus, the Kickstarter campaign will be running until June 17th. Early birds can get a single Fingerbot Plus device for $25. Backers can expect to receive their awards in August of this year.