PluggX : Home Automation for as little as $99 without Re-wiring

While LG, Samsung are all inventing smart bulbs,  an Indian Startup, PluggxLabs, has created a smart device, Pluggx, which allows you for almost a complete home automation at vale less than 100 dollars. The best is that it can be hooked to your existing switches.

While the concept is itself not new because I have seen similar system being hooked to the switches and then being controlled by small remote, the idea of controlling it via smartphones at this price is impressive. Once connected to smartphone, the possibility become immense. You can get in your home and turn on all the things to get you started.

Nikhil Srivastava, Founder, Pluggx Labs claim that they aren’t just creating smart devices but they are also putting in brains inside it. Based on how you use your lights and appliances, the automation system will learn and help you save electricity. Probably it can find out that you forgot to switch of the lights and remind you to do so and do it automatically.

Features of Pluggx Switch:

• 4 On-Off + 1 Dimmer / Fan Control
• Your manual switches work as before and they come with real-time status on your phone.
• It works on bluetooth V2.0 making it possible to connect almost every phone.
• You can even control it over cloud if you can connect it over Wi-Fi.
  
• Schedule your fans to turn on in middle of night and switch off your AC.
• Modes: Movie,  meeting, vacation, welcome home, leaving home, morning and going to bed mode.
• Fits behind switchboards even on limited space.
• Support incandescent, halogen, magnetic low voltage, electronic low voltage, fluorescent, compact fluorescent, and LEDs .

That said, the total installation process takes 15 minutes with a one time investment. Not only that, if something goes wrong with your switches, the technical support will know it before you would notice.

The Pricing:

Each pluggx that gets installed will cost you 99$ which comes to around Rs 6000 approximately. There are four relays which allows you to control 4 device. So for example if you are living room has two fan and two lights, you are all set. Anything more will cost you accordingly.

If you get realistic, if you install this for each room, you need to have minimum of one on each. So that means for a house with 3 room, one living room, 2 bath rooms and one kitchen, you will require a minimum of 5 such pluggx. This will cost you 30K for minimum.

The product will be out for consumer usage this June. So stay tuned for a detailed review as one of us get our hands on it. Check out PluggX