Ryobi, best known for its power tools, has given its new motorized garage door opener added functionality thanks to modular design and app-connected smarts. The Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener can also serve as a carbon monoxide sensor, wireless speaker, cooling fan or parking assistant if you're open to mixing and matching the brand's plug-and-play modules.
The Ultra Quiet Garage Door Opener (UQGDO) is claimed 20 percent quieter than the leading garage door openers and further sets itself apart from the pack with its modular design. If you're not confident in your parking ability, the UQGDO can be fitted with park assist system which uses two class-6 lasers to mark when it's time to stop. If you're the sort of person who likes hiding from the world and working in your garage, you can also add a Bluetooth speaker to the base opener unit, as well as a cooling fan and retractable cord reel, which gives you neat access to a power cord regardless of how much clutter is lining the floor.
There's even a carbon monoxide sensor available for people concerned about being overwhelmed by the gas in an enclosed space, and if you've attached a lithium-ion backup battery, the door can even be opened up to 100 times in a power outage.
All these features are nice, but they offer little comfort to paranoid homeowners who can't remember whether they shut the door on the way out. Thankfully, the UQGDO can be connected to a home Wi-Fi network and paired with an iOS/Android mobile app allowing you to check how long the door has been open or shut while on the move, as well as letting you know how much charge the backup battery has. If the carbon monoxide sensor is attached, the app will also warn you if the gas level gets too high.
It might be smarter than your average door opener, but that doesn't mean Ryobi has skimped on the basics. That means there's a 2 hp motor for quick operation, and it's connected to a steel reinforced belt drive for long-lasting, reliable garage action. There's also a motion activated LED light, which Ryobi claims will last the life of the opener unit.
The Ryobi Ultra Quiet Door Opener retails for US$248, and includes a wall controller, wireless keypad, two remotes and a safety sensor to make sure Indiana Jones doesn't lose an arm reaching as he grabs his hat from under a fast closing door. Pricing for the plug-in accessories starts at $44.
A video outlining the unit's capabilities is below.
Source: Ryobi
