ComfyLight is a smart light bulb that protects your home from intruders by tricking them into thinking that someone is at home.
It’s part of the Internet of Things (smart and connected devices), which was the predominant theme at the recent 2016 International CES, the big tech trade show in Las Vegas. Zurich, Switzerland-based ComfyLight is launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign today to raise $55,000 and recruit early backers for its home security solution.
The smart light bulb is reminiscent of the scenes in Home Alone when Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) tricks two bumbling burglars into thinking there’s a party going on at a house, when in fact young Kevin is there by himself.
The ComfyLight light-emitting diode (LED) bulb makes burglars believe you are home when you are not. It learns how you and your family move around your home and automatically simulates this behavior when you are out, without requiring complicated programming of timers and settings.
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With ComfyLight, it always looks like someone is at home from the outside. In addition, the ComfyLight app lets you stay in touch with what is happening in your home while you are away. It detects motion in a room and sends notifications when something is amiss.
ComfyLight automatically warns neighbors as well and scares intruders by flashing when an alarm goes off. When you are at home, ComfyLight offers automatic lighting, switching the soft white LED light on and off as you walk in and out of a room. Each bulb costs $140.
The ComfyLight app also shows you which members of your family are at home at any time, but it grants privacy where needed, the company said. The app displays an icon for each person, so no photos or video footage. The data is held on servers in Germany.
If unusual motion is detected while home owners are out, they will be alerted through the ComfyLight app. The app also tracks which family members are home and which family members are out of the house.
“Our research into the Internet of Things at the University of St. Gallen gave us valuable insights into the smart home market,” said Stefanie Turber, CEO and cofounder of ComfyLight, in a statement. “We were unable to find a security solution that gives homeowners and tenants peace of mind. Conventional systems don’t trigger an alarm until the burglary has already happened – they don’t proactively protect the home. Plus, installation is often quite complex.”
ComfyLight spun out of the University of St. Gallen and ETH Zurich in the summer of 2015.
Turber and Marcus Köhler cofounded the company, which has offices in Zurich and Munich and has fewer than 10 employees. ComfyLight is expected to debut later this month. Its rivals include BeOn.
