Strips is a window sensor so thin it’s nearly invisible

By Steve Castle June 19, 2015

Sensative Crowdfunding @ Indiegogo

This was bound to happen in the ever-expanding Internet of Things universe: nearly invisible sensors, or at least what their developer claims are the world’s thinnest magnetic sensors.

Strips by Sensative sounds like a tooth whitener, but this svelte, 3-mm thin sensor hides in the frame of a window or door and communicates with your smartphone or smart home system when you leave a window or door open. It replaces or can be used in lieu of bulky, hulky box-like magnetic sensors that sit on your windowsills like a tumor (and which we once thought were nearly invisible).

Strips comes in two pieces; a tiny magnet that goes on the side of a window or door and a longer sensor that contains a PCB board and a LiMnO2 (Lithium Manganese Dioxide) battery that the company says is good for 10 years.

Related: Huawei Honor 7 could arrive on June 30, and feature a fingerprint sensor

The ultra-thin sensor communicates via the wireless Z-Wave mesh networking protocol, which is used in many smart home products. Strips will send a signal to a Z-Wave-enabled gateway, which then relays a message to your smartphone or smart home system. Hundreds of Z-Wave devices are already on the market.

The company says it is preparing Strips for Z-wave-plus certification to ensure compliance, and is stepping up efforts to verify compliance with common Z-Wave-gateways on the market. So far it has verified Strips’ compliance with the units below:

WeBeHome Gateway
Fibaro Home Center 2
Zipato Zipabox
Vera (Vera 3; Vera Edge)

A future goal is to add a temperature sensor, meaning Strips could communicate with a Z-Wave-enabled thermostat or even motorized shades. The company also plans to develop a vibration sensor to detect break-ins.

Pre-orders are available through an Indiegogo campaign, starting at about $53 US for the sensors, with delivery. The company plans to ship products in November.

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Steve Castle’s fascination with technology began as a staff writer for luxury magazine Robb Report, where he reported on…

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