It’s Saturday morning. It’s cold outside, the thermometer shows 1°C, and you’re still hiding under the covers, clutching your imaginary coffee mug in your hands. But something is different — the house is already warm, the blinds have slowly risen, and the light in the living room has discreetly turned on. It’s not magic. It’s just VIKI, which can be taught that on certain days you want to have a gentler wake-up.
That’s how a smart home works, learning who you are and what you like. VIKI doesn’t just react to commands — it anticipates. She noticed that on late autumn weekends you like to have 22°C in your bedroom in the morning and warm light in the kitchen. So she’s got it all set up before you even get out of bed.
And yes, VIKI is also attentive to the weather. If the forecast announces negative temperatures, it sends you a notification a few days in advance: “It will be -1°C this weekend. Empty the irrigation systems and bring sensitive plants indoors.” All that is missing is to add: “And don’t forget your scarf!”
But beyond the nice messages, it is about safety and efficiency. VIKI automatically regulates energy consumption, turns off the heating in unused rooms and maintains the optimal temperature only where it is needed. If you are away from home, the system switches to economy mode and returns to ideal comfort shortly before your arrival.
That’s a home that thinks. One that doesn’t just make your life easier, it makes it warmer — literally and figuratively. Because this winter, you’re not the one turning on the heat. VIKI is, for you.
Find out more about how VIKI works.
Or find out how much it would cost to turn your home into a smart one:VIKI configurator.
We like to be prepared with clear solutions for any type of home. That’s why we created two predefined versions of smart electrical panels – VIKI BrainBOX BASIC and VIKI BrainBOX ADVANCED. But, every now and then, a project comes along that challenges us to think beyond the standard. That’s how MAXIMUS was born.
It all started with a special request: a client who was building a house of approximately 250 sq m and who wanted total control over his home, without compromise. The two existing models were no longer enough – more power, more flexibility, more circuits and a personalized approach were needed.
That’s how VIKI BrainBOX MAXIMUS was born – a custom panel, with 400% more managed facilities than the ADVANCED model, with approximately 100 output circuits and 35 smart inputs, designed specifically to meet the needs of this generous home.
What can MAXIMUS do?
MAXIMUS is the heart of the VIKI system, from where all intelligent controls, automations and decisions made based on the behavior of the residents start. Here are some of the functions it manages:
INTERIOR:
– Entrance door control with electromagnetic shutter
– Complete ambient lighting (On/Off, dimming, LED strips, RGBW) with scenarios, VIKI intelligence or app controls
– Automatic water supply shut-off in case of flooding, via solenoid valve
– Integration with underfloor heating system and heat recovery ventilation system
– Automation for curtains, drapes, blinds, roller shutters or awnings
– Monitoring of energy consumption via smart meter, with direct reporting in the app
EXTERIOR:
– Entrance bell and call reader
– Intelligent architectural lighting, with two levels of intensity, motion detection and presence simulation scenarios
– Dedicated lighting for the barbecue area
– Control of access to the yard (gates), garage and pedestrian
– Automated outdoor irrigation
– Dedicated circuit for storage battery and photovoltaic panels
In addition to these functions managed by the panel, the house was also equipped with a series of sensors and smart equipment strategically placed in each area. They constantly communicate with the VIKI server and provide essential information for automated decision-making. We are talking about presence sensors (which also measure temperature, humidity and ambient light), smoke and CO2 sensors, door and window sensors that send alerts or automatically adjust the climate, as well as flood sensors placed in key areas.
In addition, the house benefits from smart features that increase comfort and safety: the system is ready for the integration of a high-performance Home Cinema, ambient sound is distributed to several rooms, and the TVs in the living room can be controlled directly through VIKI. The Wi-Fi connection is optimized for stable coverage in all rooms, and the system automatically detects the presence of family members. It is also integrated with an alarm system, has electrical backup for essential functions and is protected by a reliable voltage regulator.
All these components form the nervous system of the home, and VIKI AI algorithms interpret them to learn the family’s routines, anticipate needs and execute the necessary actions, without anyone having to press a button.
MAXIMUS is proof that when the customer wants a home that knows, we do whatever it takes to make that dream come true. Because VIKI knows!
Fall is the season when we transition from hot summer days to cooler, darker evenings. It’s the ideal time to implement smart automations in your home to increase your comfort, save energy and cope with temperature changes. With the help of VIKI, the smart home system that learns your habits and adapts according to them, you can benefit from a series of functions that will transform your home into a more efficient and pleasant space.
1. Automatic light adjustment for darker days
Fall brings with it shorter days and less natural light. With VIKI, you can automate the lighting in your home so that it adjusts according to the outside light level or the time of day. For example, VIKI can automatically activate the lighting at a higher intensity early in the morning, when it is still dark, and gradually reduce it during the day. It can also turn on the light in a subtle manner every evening to create a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.
2. Intelligent temperature control for cool days
As the temperature drops, heat management becomes essential to maintaining optimal comfort in the home. VIKI can constantly monitor the outside and inside temperature and automatically adjust the heating system. For example, VIKI can set the temperature differently depending on the time of day: warmer in the morning to help you wake up comfortably, and cooler during the day when the house is empty, thus saving energy. In the evening, the temperature can rise again to ensure a warm and welcoming environment when returning home.
3. Intelligent management of blinds and curtains
In addition to temperature and light control, VIKI can manage blinds and drapes to maximize energy efficiency. By connecting to a weather station and using the geodetic coordinates of your windows, VIKI can calculate when to draw the curtains to prevent heat loss at night, or when to raise the blinds to capture more sunlight during the day. This functionality contributes to maintaining a pleasant indoor climate and reducing energy costs.
4. Programming appliances for maximum efficiency
In the cold season, many of us spend more time at home, which leads to intensive use of household appliances. VIKI offers you the possibility to schedule their use so as to save energy and money. For example, you can set the washing machine to run at times when energy is cheaper or automatically turn on the coffee machine every morning. This not only optimizes energy consumption, but also simplifies your daily routine.
5. Automation of security and comfort scenarios
During the autumn months, when the evenings are getting longer, VIKI can help create a safe and comfortable environment. For example, it can automatically activate outdoor lights when it detects motion or when it gets dark, improving your home’s security. VIKI can also simulate presence in the home when you are away by intelligently controlling lights and other devices.
The smart automations offered by VIKI bring more comfort and efficiency to your home in autumn. Whether it’s automatically adjusting the light, managing the temperature, controlling the blinds or programming the appliances, each function is designed to adapt to your needs and optimize the use of resources, making your home a smart and sustainable space.
Do you want a more comfortable and efficient home?
Discover all the benefits of VIKI and transform your home into a smart space perfectly adapted for this autumn. Visit our page and find out how VIKI can help you create an ideal environment for you and your family.
The role assumed by VIKI in our life is to help us every day with the routine and tasks, to take over our chores or even to remind us of things, when we are overwhelmed and busy. This is exactly why we always say that VIKI is our virtual butler – he is always “behind” us, ready to help us. Continue reading “Pre-scheduled events in the VIKI house” »
We continue the series “VIKI in real life” and this time we present a garden in Cluj-Napoca, located on the terrace of an apartment, managed entirely by the automatic irrigation system implemented in VIKI.
We wrote a lot about what VIKI can do, about the ways it can make our lives easier, about how it protects our house, about how it ensures the desired comfort and much more. But it is important to actually see what a house equipped with the VIKI automation system looks like in everyday life, so we take another look at our customers’ homes. Continue reading “VIKI and the urban garden. How to manage a green balcony in the city” »
Mornings can be difficult for everyone, for morning persons and the grumpy ones equally. And when we talk about families who also have children to prepare for school or kindergarten, things get even more complicated.
What if you would have someone to help on these chaotic mornings? To have someone to gently wake the little ones up, so they can get out of bed happily and prepare for a new day. To have someone to prepare your coffee and turn on your favourite music. Or turn on your TV on your favourite news channel while you get ready for work.
Everything would be easier with such help. But the days when families had servants in the house are over, aren’t they? Of course, times have changed, and so have the routine of families and their dynamics. The good news is that we can now rely on the virtual butler to make our lives easier – in the morning and at any other time of the day. Continue reading “Scenarios ready to make your life easier in the VIKI house” »
In the last 8 years, together with an extraordinary team, I have developed and implemented a technology through which the environment in our homes adapts to the needs of the family through the automatic control of environmental facilities, using artificial intelligence algorithms. In homes where we implement this concept, lights, air conditioning, shading or ventilation, multimedia devices and almost any electric equipment show a behavior ‘synchronized’ with user expectations. To put it simple, the house anticipates the user’s needs, without the user having to interact continuously and explicitly with the house, through buttons, remote controls, smartphones or voice. But how do these things happen? What are the mechanisms that lead to this way of ‘functioning’ of the house?
Smart home technology has evolved a lot in recent years, and IoT (Internet of Things) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have become a reality in the world we live in. From the dozens of discussions I’ve had with specialists and potential beneficiaries of such use of AI, the question has often arisen as to whether society is ready to leave its life in the hands of artificial intelligence. And the answer was: It depends on intelligence! Continue reading “How does Artificial Intelligence know if you’re having dinner or taking a shower?” »
In addition to the Artificial Intelligence decision algorithm, VIKI offers the user the ability to adjust the functioning of the house through Hands-Free voice commands, using the Amazon Echo equipment.
Whether we are talking about Light, Climate or Multimedia, or applying Sleep or Good Morning scenarios, VIKI understands simple voice commands that once spoken, determine the room or the whole house to change their behavior according to the user’s wish.
Smart lighting control brings elegance, comfort and energy efficiency to your home. The possibility of using voice to control the lights increases the comfort level of the VIKI user. Continue reading “Talking to VIKI” »
Lately, a lot of emphasis is placed on the energy performance of the houses, knowing that by March 2020, Romania has to transpose into the national legislation Directive 2018/844 / EU on the energy performance of buildings. This will impose on the builders and owners of buildings important rules, such as the obligation to install equipment for electric vehicles charging and systems for automation and control of energy consumption.
Energy efficiency measures can reduce the energy consumption of a building by up to 40%. The thermal energy for heating and hot water represents about 70% of the consumption of a residential building. Due to the proper thermal insulation and the implementation of efficient heating or energy monitoring solutions, the energy consumption can be reduced by half. Continue reading “Electricity monitoring with VIKI” »
