News /
Dec 14, 2017

Kickstarter Funds Smart Home Lighting System

Dimmer lighting control from Kleverness

The Kleverness dimmer can be controlled by hand motions. / All images courtesy of Kleverness.

A recent Kickstarter campaign launched a new player into the smart home lighting arena.

Kleverness, which recently went live after more than doubling its fundraising goal on the crowdfunding site, has released a line of smart switches, dimmers, and outlets to the market.

Switches and dimmers from Kleverness can be installed in minutes without a neutral wire or special tools. They work within existing wiring, saving homeowners money that might be spent on rewiring a home, the founders say. The smart outlets can be plugged into any existing outlet. Founders Dan Nurko and Alex Fraind hope that their easy installation and simple, adaptable set-up will allow their product to outshine other connected home products.

A single Kleverness switch can control up to three gangs of light fixtures. Lights can then be controlled by physical switches and hand gestures or integrated with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and SmartThings. Each unit is a radio frequency repeater, ensuring that it works regardless of how far away it is from a Wi-Fi hub, and allowing the units to connect to and control each other.

Through the Kleverness app, the Wi-Fi enabled switches, dimmers, and outlets can be controlled from anywhere by a smartphone. The smart home system can automate lights according to use patterns and will mimic a homeowner’s lighting routine while they are away, making the house appear occupied. Homeowners can give access to friends and guests, and the system can detect when a trusted smartphone approaches the home and turn lights on ahead of their arrival.

Available for both Apple and Android devices, the app also monitors energy use, suggesting ways to save money and energy. It can tell which switch or fixture is using the most energy or when a lightbulb is getting old.

All products from Kleverness can also be paired with the Kleverness hub, which can turn on lights through voice control locally and without Wi-Fi. The hub can be connected to up to 512 current and future Kleverness products, the manufacturer says. All products are available in both black and white.

Kleverness is hoping to create more smart home products in the future, including security systems, fan and blind controls, thermostats, and more.