Intellithings wants smarter home with sensors for every room

Smart homes have always seemed to promise much more than what they could deliver. One of the biggest challenges has been getting everything to work just right without jumping from app to app on a smartphone. Some companies have tried to solve this problem with smart home hubs that can be controlled by anyone.

Amazon has been the most successful with its voice-activated Echo by creating a simple solution for controlling connected devices. Another company called Intellithings sees sensors as the way forward with its new RoomMe system.

RoomMe uses sensors to detect whether a smartphone is in a room or not. Each phone for a home has its own profile and RoomMe will adjust the settings for a given room as soon as someone walks in. The sensors can control smart lighting, thermostats and other appliances.

When more than one person is in a room, RoomMe knows it needs to accommodate both users. It will set the thermostat at the average temperature of each person's preference, for example.

RoomMe is not the first company to come up with this concept and it certainly has its own limitations. The sensors won't work for kids without smartphones or guests who aren't in the system. The price isn't bad, though. RoomMe is currently being crowdfunded on Indiegogo starting at $139 for a starter kit. It's expected to ship in 2018.