Developing the first truly intelligent home system in Romania means many hours of teamwork. It means exchanging ideas, endless lines of code, hours of discussion (sometimes contradictory), failures, beginning all over again and, often, fun – all as a team.
In the past days, the VIKI team has managed to integrate the voice control facility into the application through Amazon Echo DOT. And this innovation was done as described above – with trials, failures and fun times. First, we had to establish a link to “Alexa” (the name given to the Amazon Echo DOT). Then we had to introduce Alexa to VIKI and get them to work together.
Continue reading “What happens when VIKI artificial intelligence meets Amazon Echo Dot. VIDEO” »
Security function, natively integrated in the smart home: see and hear VIKI’s intrusion alarm! [VIDEO]
The VIKI smart home protects the house and its stuff through a natively integrated function and, in case of alarm, all family members will receive notifications on their mobile phones.
It is important to know that the same sensors that control the lights or measure the temperature and humidity are also in charge of motions monitoring in the house. So, it’s not necesarry to invest in many more different systems (heating, air conditioning, humidity, security), which would come each with their sets of specific sensors, dedicated controller and communication system.
VIKI only uses one sensor, with multiple functions and capabilities, one analytic element (the house’s computer) and modern warning elements, already integrated in the house’s design – in this case, the TV set and the sound system of the house. All these lead to a substantial lower cost for the system, opposite to the case where each facility of the house would be run by a dedicated system.
Another different thing about VIKI, unlike other “smart” houses, is the way the warning message is communicated, in case of intrusion. It’s not a classic alarm that only makes noise; it’s an automated message that is broadcasted through the TV set and/or the house’s sound system. If there are more rooms in the house with VIKI multimedia, the message is broadcasted in each of them.
The warning message was conceived especially for VIKI by a psychologist, who delivered valuable information about the way the message must be transmited, the way it must be spoken, so that the effect of discouraging the intrusion attempt should be highest.
VIKI is the only smart home system that has a built-in security and active protection of the house function, even when we leave the pet inside the house. According to the option the user selects (see the video, at ”20), the house activates all the sensors, or just the perimeter sensors (open windows/doors), when the user leaves.
You can see in the video below how, after the users leave the house and the location is armed, all the consumers are turned off; the house switches to an energy saving mode, without the users intervention – they don’t have to manually turn off the lights or the TV or the heating system, when they leave.
The VIKI smart home received the Grand Prize and the Gold Medal at Pro Invent 2017!
VIKI (“The system for intelligent adaptation of the environment to the needs of users”) won the Grand Prize of the International Exhibition of Research, Innovation and Invention “Pro Invent” 2017, as well as the Diploma of Excellence with the gold medal. The event was organized between March 22 and 24, 2017 by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, under the aegis of the Ministry of National Education and the Ministry of Research and Innovation.
Developed through a joint effort of the Cluj companies QSound SOFT and Napoca Software, VIKI is a truly innovative product, revolutionizing the world of home automation and smart homes. Continue reading “The VIKI smart home received the Grand Prize and the Gold Medal at Pro Invent 2017!” »
VIKI is inviting you to Pro Invent 2017! Cluj-Napoca, March 22-24
VIKI will attend the 15th edition of the International Exhibition of Research, Innovation and Invention “Pro Invent” in Cluj-Napoca, hosted between March 22 and 24, 2017 by the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, under the auspices of the Ministry National Education and the Ministry of Research and Innovation.
The event will take place in the Complex of the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca and brings together universities, institutes, research centers and stations, companies, inventors’ associations, individuals from the country and abroad, in order to arouse the interest of potential users and the general public.
Continue reading “VIKI is inviting you to Pro Invent 2017! Cluj-Napoca, March 22-24” »
VIKI Meetings: Episode 2
As we already announced in a previous article, the VIKI team started a series of meetings-seminars, organized in order to present this intelligent system of home automation to those interested – architects, builders, specialists etc., decision makers from companies with an interest in promoting, installing and / or designing VIKI.
Continue reading “VIKI Meetings: Episode 2” »
Meet VIKI!
The VIKI team has started a series of meetings-seminars, in order to introduce this smart home automation system to those interested – architects, builders, specialists etc., decision makers from companies with an interest in promoting / VIKI installation / design.
A first meeting has already taken place, and some of the participants were later able to visit a “VIKI site”, a house where the system is currently being installed.
Continue reading “Meet VIKI!” »
Should we automate the central heating with DANFOSS LIVING CONNECT Z or Stella Z Eurotronic?
After a 2016/2017 winter with many nights and days below 15 degrees Celsius, we can draw some conclusions about the use of thermostatic heads to control heating on radiators, connected to a classic apartment boiler.
Both Danfoss Living Connect and Stella Z are robust products in terms of manufacturing, with an obvious design gain for Danfoss. This, through the LCD screen on which you can view the temperature and the status signaling icons, as well as the manual temperature adjustment buttons, brings an extra ease to use.
Continue reading “Should we automate the central heating with DANFOSS LIVING CONNECT Z or Stella Z Eurotronic?” »
The smart home: 10 ways VIKI can improve your life
The house of the future is the house where technology blends harmoniously with your lifestyle, ensuring a perfect balance between comfort and relaxation. Designed for the whole family, VIKI technology is more than “home automation”, it means an intelligent system that constantly learns, becoming through its unique functions a “virtual butler” of the house.
Continue reading “The smart home: 10 ways VIKI can improve your life” »
VIKI: installation and configuration
Having a virtual assistant attributions, installing a smart home system may seem a complex and difficult process, but not if we are speaking about VIKI.
One of VIKI’s particularities is the fact that it is easy to install and configure. Thanks to the learning and the imitation of the human behaviour algorithms, the system is automaticaly adapting to the changes in the environment where it is installed, without needing a manual reconfiguration of the settings every time the family makes changes in its preferences.
The solution may be installed in new or finished houses, using a wireless technology that does not require special cabling.
Sensors and access control equipment are able to function on network energy or batteries with a 4 months to 2 years life, depending on the chosen type.
Once the system is installed in your home it will learn all the habits of family members related to lighting, climate and multimedia devices and know when to put them into action, and when the daily routine of the family is changing, the system reconfigures itself with the changes it register.
VIKI: available features from 2017
In addition to the 4 main VIKI features (lights, climate, multimedia and security) that we are currently testing, from 2017 our solution will have 6 more special features.
The organizer can also be called a virtual assistant because it helps you better manage your daily activities and remember the important moments in your life. In addition to these basic functions, it contains some unique features:
Continue reading “VIKI: available features from 2017” »