The home awareness smart sensor aiming to solve real problems

The simplicity of 1-Click Ordering now means that Amazon users can hop aboard the tech hype train and transform their humble abode into a smart home with relative ease. People can already be seen showing off to their friends and family (you know who you are) how Alexa can turn on their lights or make the room warmer by just using their voice.

Google Home also offers the same functionalities. But what problems are these new virtual assistants solving? Or is it just another case of technology for technology’s sake? A tech startup called Notion has an alternative view and is niching down to position itself in unchartered waters with their home awareness kit.

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Helloplant Is a Smart Sensor That Helps You Keep Your Plants Alive

Gardening and growing your own plants is one of those things that sounds easier than it is. Mostly because there’s a fair amount of upkeep involved. It’s pretty easy to pick out a plant and place it in a pot or part of the garden, but keeping it alive is where things get tricky. That’s where Helloplant aims to help matters. It’s an inexpensive smart plant sensor that will keep an eye on things for you, giving you a heads up when you need to intervene.

Through its smart sensor, it’ll measure soil moisture, light intensity, as well as soil temperature. Once it has something to say, Helloplant will then send you a notification via your smartphone, informing you of any action you need to complete to keep your plant happy. No internet is required but an optional WiFi hub makes it possible to access your sensor from anywhere in the world. There’s also support for Amazon’s Alexa, and an open API for further smart home integration.

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'Smart bins' are coming to the UK and could spell the end of hand-separating recycling

A new "smart bin" could spell the end of environment-conscious families spending hours sorting tins, cartons, bottles, and cardboard for recycling.

The invention, which automatically sorts rubbish into recycling categories, is being trialed in Poland and is set to go on sale in UK within a few years.

The bin, designed by start-up company Bin.E, recognizes different type of waste via a system positioned inside the bin which uses sensors, image recognition and artificial intelligence. 

Once waste is placed inside, the camera and sensors identify its type and place it in one of the smaller bins. Then it compresses the waste so it occupies less space.

News of the launch comes after this newspaper revealed that more than a million households are being forced to accept bin collections every three or four weeks, because councils are trying to force them to recycle more.

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Banner Engineering breaks ground on new R&D building

Banner Engineering, a provider of technology for industrial automation, broke ground on a new R&D building at the company’s global headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. The new R&D building will allow Banner Engineering to create more than 225 new high-tech jobs locally, as well as accelerate new product development to meet the increasing demand for smart sensor technologies in factories around the world.

First founded in 1966 by engineer and entrepreneur Bob Fayfield, CEO, Banner Engineering has developed innovative sensor solutions to challenging industry applications since the early 1970s.

“Sensors have long been the eyes of the factory, but now the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) allows businesses to leverage sensor data in more meaningful ways,” says Carla Grafstrom, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, “From remote monitoring to predictive maintenance for machines, IIoT capabilities help businesses make better, data-driven decisions. Because of this, the demand for IIoT-capable technologies, including smart sensors and controllers, is growing exponentially.”

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Smart Sensor Market revenue will reach $81.99 billion by 2024, says Esticast Research and Consulting

As per the report “Smart Sensor Market by Product (Image, Touch, motion, temperature, pressure, positions), Industry Trends, Estimation & Forecast, 2016-2024”, the global Smart Sensor market was valued at $20.75 billion in 2016, and is projected to reach $81.99 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 18.9% from 2017 to 2024. In 2016, Image Sensors occupied the largest revenue share in the global smart sensor market. Among major regions, European smart sensor market was the largest revenue generating market valued at $6.93 billion in 2016.

“With the advancement of technology and increasing demand of automation, new emerging trends such as smart home, smart cities and smart parking may contribute a lot in the future growth opportunities for the smart sensor market. Steep growth in the usage of consumer electronic devices and their development may accord in the market growth”

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