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Coulisse has used the R+T Digital 2021 trade fair to launch a range of motors with Apple HomeKit technology, in collaboration with smart home specialist Eve Systems from Munich, Germany. The range, which includes wireless motors for roller blinds, Venetian blinds, cellular shades and curtains, aims at making motorised blinds accessible as a mass-product. The range, the first in the market, including the new home connectivity standard Thread, will become available over the course of this year, starting with a roller blind motor in the second quarter of 2021.
The new range is an extension of the Coulisse automation concept, called MotionBlinds, and the result of the collaboration with Eve Systems, a leader in the development of accessories for the Apple HomeKit ecosystem. The motors allow for easy installation, programming and control of the blind with your iPhone.
“As the blinds connect via Bluetooth, the set-up does not require any gateway or bridge. By simply scanning a QR code, the blinds are automatically and securely set-up, ready to be controlled by app or voice. In just a few seconds you are done,” said Jerome Gackel, CEO of Eve Systems.
Software-updates for activation of the latest features and user-experience improvements appear automatically in the Eve app. As a result, limited to no service or support is required after installation.
“Thanks to the Eve software, this new motor range is a game changer in the interior window coverings market,” said Christiaan Roetgering, owner and CEO of Coulisse.
“The simplicity of both installation and use is unmatched. All complexity is eliminated, and the installation time drastically reduced. Combined with the fact that you don’t need a hub anymore this offers major cost advantages. It opens up the way to make motorised blinds available to a broad audience and widely embraced as a product that brings joy and value to everyday life in the home.”
“The blinds seamlessly and securely interact with other HomeKit certified accessories, like for example light bulbs, thermostats, movement detectors and other sensor-based accessories. Once connected, the blinds instantly are part of a smart home ecosystem, in which smart devices automatically interact in creating the desired ambiance, safety and comfort at any time of day. The motor range is designed to safeguard user privacy in every step of the way. Instead of relying on a cloud, like most applications, all data and intelligence are stored locally on the motor, which means data exchanged in the home stays in the home.”
With the integration of Thread, Gackel said Coulisse and Eve take a head start in the connected home future that awaits the blinds industry.
“Not only is Thread the third native protocol used by Apple HomeKit, complementing Bluetooth and WLAN. It will also be a corner stone of project CHIP (Connected Home over IP), the smart home standard of the future that is currently being developed by Google, Amazon, Apple and numerous IoT-manufacturers. Thread is sure to become the new standard in low-power home networking which makes our new motors a future-proof choice.”
