Aquarium control and automation has been a hot topic for years. Before affordable aquarium controllers hit the market, we were linking together lamp timers and hacking X10 devices to do our bidding. Not that automation and control is getting more ubiquitous in the aquarium and home, products like the Blacksumac Piper may be the key to more integrated automation.
One of the problems with the aquarium controllers was finding products that they can talk to and control. Thanks to smartphones, we have boiled the controller down to a few mobile-centric operating systems and the devices are getting smarter. All this convergence is making it possible for people to do more today while futurecasting for tomorrow.
Why does the Piper matter to the aquarium industry? As we start thinking more about the convergence between our home and aquarium, there are ways to economically add a more robust system for your home and hobby thanks to the Piper.
Piper is not just a security camera that streams live video to your iPhone on demand like the Dropcam, it’s also a weather station, a programmable motion- and sound-detecting device, a data-visualization tool for your in-home habits, and a wireless hub for controlling other devices.
Think of it. Want to know when your kids get home from school/ Check. The Piper can sense that and send you a report. Want to check on your aquarium from afar to see how your new anthias are doing? Check. The Piper can do that.
Besides being able to serve as the hub for controlling your home and aquarium devices, one of the most compelling part is the data collection and visualization. The Piper can creates charts and graphs based on your home’s activity patterns, noise levels, humidity levels, and internal/external temperature. Imagine knowing how the external environment is impacting your aquarium and make the adjustments as needed.
The Piper is coming in at an affordable price too. The initial unit is shipping for $240 and works over WiFi. Expect more Z-Wave compatible devices to be tested and added to this system in the future. This could be the way the hobby shifts if more manufacturers looked for ways to tie into consumer-driven technologies instead of proprietary systems that require continued maintenance to maintain effectiveness.
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