Smart lighting is quickly becoming a hot new technology category and the latest addition is LightCloud. With a lot of conversation on twitter over the past few days, it’s time see what all the fuss is about. LightCloud is an Australian invention, lead by Founder & CEO Mark Pesce, who’s business card includes inventor, author, educator, broadcaster and entrepreneur. LightCloud is a WiFi connected, programmable light box with an array of multi-coloured LED lights.
The thing that sets LightCloud apart is its app ecosystem and ability to integrate with other home automation equipment. LightCloudStudio for example will let you create animations and patterns and then share it with friends.
LightCloud is much more than just an expensive nightlight, it can control other connected devices, including the smart globe LIFX which was recently funded and due for arrival early 2013. LightCloud can listen and respond to your voice commands. A suggested use is for LightCloud is to light a runway when move about in the dark. You could also program it to accent in brightness to wake you up gently.
Technically, LightCloud contains a string of LEDs connected to a small-but-powerful computer running LINUX. Inside LightCloud hosts a full Web server, so you can interact with it through a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, accessing it as you would any other site on the Internet. This means you could login to LigthtCloud remotely and turn of lights in your house should you accidentally leave them on. Or program them to simulate regular use while on holidays for added security.
At first look, LightCloud just looks like a glorified light bulb, but when you look at it in detail, the possibilities are massive. LightCloud is soon to be available on Kickstarter, October 16th to be precise. Unfortunately there’s no word on price yet, stay tuned updates on that.
Even if you don’t care for the product, check out the website, it’s seriously well designed.
More info @ http://lightcloud.co/
