Need a door mat that sends you a text message when your dog is sitting at the door wanting to come in or go out? Need to receive a text alert when an elderly relative leaves a room or steps on the door mat to leave the house? Or how about having the TV automatically turn on when you sit down on your couch?
The SmartMat is a thin, durable, and flexible door mat sized wireless sensor that triggers actions based on the weight of who or what is on it. To program the SmartMat, different combinations of triggers and actions can be selected using a web browser on any mobile device or computer, as each SmartMat has its own web page interface to graphically view its readings in real-time and to select the triggers and actions to program it. Based on the amount of weight it senses, and the time over which it senses the weight, the SmartMat can send email or text message alerts, it can log information to Twitter or Google Docs, and it can even be used to control light bulbs, appliances, and other smart home products.
The SmartMat is made of a force-sensitive plastic film that’s 18 inches wide by 27 inches long, and is interfaced with an Electric Imp micro controller that allows it to connect to the Internet of Things through any Wi-Fi signal. The SmartMat can run off either battery power or the included AC adapter. For most applications, the power savings mode can be activated under which a 9V alkaline battery will power the SmartMat for over 100 days. The SmartMat is also open-source, and developers can re-program it for custom uses with the relatively simple programming platform used by Electric Imp.
Through its Kickstarter project, the SmartMat can be obtained starting at $75. Or starting at $145, the SmartMat can be ordered with a Wi-Fi connected AC outlet that enables the SmartMat to control lights, appliances, bells/buzzers, electronics, or any other AC powered device.
The SmartMat Kickstarter project will go live on March 26th, 2014, and will run through April 25th, 2014. To view the SmartMat project, please click here.
