If you're already finding it hard to keep up with all the smart climate control systems for the home that are hitting the market, then this might just be the one to send you into a spin. Big Ass Fans has added its SenseME technology to its Haiku ceiling fan, which includes Wi-Fi connectivity and sensors that enable it to regulate temperature and kick into action when someone enters the room.
With either aluminum, Moso bamboo or matrix composite airfoils, Haiku uses a built-in Wi-Fi module, infrared motion, ambient temperature and humidity sensors to help maintain the user's ideal room temperature. This means it can start up or wind down as you enter or leave a room, speed up as more people enter the room and the temperature and humidity rises, then slow down as the temperature drops overnight.
Haiku is controlled via a companion smartphone app for iOS devices, which features a number of preset modes. Whoosh Mode replicates a breeze that the company says makes you feel up to 40 percent cooler, Sleep Mode gradually lowers the fan speed as you doze off, and Alarm mode can be customized to wake you up with a combination of air, light and sound.
The fan's speed settings can also be changed manually via a remote control, but the company claims that over time, the SenseME system is able to learn from a user's comfort preferences and then better tailor its automatic speed adjustments to suit.
Like many conventional ceiling fans, Haiku also doubles as a lighting solution, with 39 high-efficiency LEDs integrated into the underside of the device, which can be dimmed to 16 different levels of brightness.
With the market for smart climate control systems continuing to heat up, perhaps it was just a matter of time before somebody gave the classic ceiling fan a smart makeover. Those intelligent, self-adjusting blades will come at a cost though, with Big Ass Fans offering the Haiku with SenseME technology for US$1,045. For that price, you could land yourself three Aros smart air conditioners or a nestful of the $250 Nest smart thermostats.
It is worth noting that the bulk of that cost appears directed toward the build of the fan, rather than its smart functionality. The Haiku fan on its own, which the company claims to be the quietest and most energy efficient in the world, will cost around $900. So if you're already looking to shell out on a high-end ceiling fan for the home, the extra $200 or so to smarten it up may not be a deal-breaker.
The Haiku with SenseMe technology can be pre-ordered through Big Ass Fans' website via the source link below. It is available in 52 in (1.32 m) and 60 in (1.52 m) diameter versions, with color options including caramel and cocoa finished airfoils, and black or white colored aluminum mounts.
Source: Big Ass Fans
