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Smartians can make your dumb tech smarter

Smartians can make your dumb tech smarter
Smartians can auto-cue the music at the push of an icon on a smartphone screen
Smartians can auto-cue the music at the push of an icon on a smartphone screen
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Volume on a hi-fi amp can be adjusted by attaching a Smartians actuator unit to the front and controlling actions wirelessly using a smartphone app
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Volume on a hi-fi amp can be adjusted by attaching a Smartians actuator unit to the front and controlling actions wirelessly using a smartphone app
Smartians can auto-cue the music at the push of an icon on a smartphone screen
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Smartians can auto-cue the music at the push of an icon on a smartphone screen
Bring water to the boil while you're on your way to the kitchen using Smartians
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Bring water to the boil while you're on your way to the kitchen using Smartians
The Smartians toolkit comes with DIY add-ons for custom projects, such as powering this table lamp on and odd remotely
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The Smartians toolkit comes with DIY add-ons for custom projects, such as powering this table lamp on and odd remotely
A Smartians actuator next to a thermostat allows for remote home heating control
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A Smartians actuator next to a thermostat allows for remote home heating control
The companion app can be used to set the time that a Smartians actuator opens or closes window blinds
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The companion app can be used to set the time that a Smartians actuator opens or closes window blinds
The hub connects to the cloud and serves as a control unit for all Smartians around the home, while also charging any docked node for months of cable-free use
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The hub connects to the cloud and serves as a control unit for all Smartians around the home, while also charging any docked node for months of cable-free use
The Smartians project is a proof-of-concept at the moment, but Frolic Studio is hoping to bring the system to market by the end of 2019
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The Smartians project is a proof-of-concept at the moment, but Frolic Studio is hoping to bring the system to market by the end of 2019
The Smartians toolkit includes two motors, a hub, and three sets of add-ons
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The Smartians toolkit includes two motors, a hub, and three sets of add-ons
A companion app is used to control Smartians nodes installed around the home
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A companion app is used to control Smartians nodes installed around the home
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We live in a connected world. We can use our smartphones to control all sorts of gadgets and appliances around the home – from controlling lighting to remotely feeding the pooch. But what of your "dumb" tech? You can break out the multitool and soldering iron for some homebrew hacking, but the latest project from the Frolic Studio could offer an easier way to teach your old gadgets new tricks.

The idea behind the project is simple enough. Rather than replace technology as it goes out of date, the cloud-connected Smartians can help automate tasks such as auto-cueing a turntable and adjusting the volume on a hi-fi amp without having to get up from your comfy chair, remotely turn up the thermostat or dim the lights, and pull down the window blinds by pressing an icon on a smartphone screen.

The Smartians toolkit includes two motors, a hub, and three sets of add-ons
The Smartians toolkit includes two motors, a hub, and three sets of add-ons

The Smartians toolkit consists of two small cloud-connected motors and a series of add-ons for pressing something, turning something or performing some other action. Actions like pressing buttons, turning knobs, pulling stings and moving objects are controlled using a companion app, where timers can be set and integration with modern smart devices like Google Home or Amazon Echo can be enabled using IFTTT.

The setup comes with a hub that's connected the internet and serves as a control unit for all Smartians deployed around the home. The hub can also charge the batteries in each Smartian motor unit, with Frolic promising months of use per charge.

A Smartians actuator next to a thermostat allows for remote home heating control
A Smartians actuator next to a thermostat allows for remote home heating control

For the moment, the Smartians project is just a proof-of-concept design study, but Frolic is gauging interest for a commercial version that's hoped will be available in late 2019. The video below has more.

Source: Frolic Studio

Smartians - smarten up the things you love

View gallery - 10 images
2 comments
2 comments
ChairmanLMAO
wow this is coolest gadget since - 3d printers
EZ
I'd buy it for my old stereo but I don't like the idea of having to use a stupid phone for the remote.