How smart is your doormat? If it’s like ours, it’s probably nothing more than a piece of carpet that either tells visitors to wipe their feet before coming in, or an obvious hiding place for your spare key. But if you’re looking for a doormat that can do a whole lot more – like tell you when a package arrives or even turn on the lights – then you may be interested in a new Kickstarter project called SmartMat.
SmartMat is, as its name suggests, a computer-powered doormat. No, this isn’t an episode of The Jetsons; this is 2014, and you too can have a doormat that will detect visitors, packages, and more. It’s not just a doormat, either. It’s a pressure-sensitive layer of smart foam that you can set under your doormat or pretty much anywhere in your home you want pressure-sensitive responses. It can fit under seat cushions, dog beds, under your placemats at the dining room tablet, or a number of other spots depending on where you want to put it to use.
With the pressure sensor built-in, SmartMat is able to actively monitor any time there’s a change in pressure from someone or something standing or sitting on the SmartMat. Using a special Web interface, SmartMat will record the incident and, depending on how you configure your device, send a text message, email, or tweet to you about what is sitting on your SmartMat using Wi-Fi. Because the SmartMat also detects the amount of pressure on it, the device is configurable to tell the difference between adults, kids, and pets. That way you can have a different kind of text message (or other configured responses) depending on who’s at the door.
If you get the SmartMat along with the Wi-Fi-enabled AC adapter, you can even configure it to turn on your lights, television and more before you even walk in the door. The device can, once it detects your weight, automatically contact the Wi-Fi-enabled adapter to power the electronics attached to it. The only problem is if you gain or lose enough weight that the SmartMat doesn’t detect you, or if you’re carrying something heavy enough (like a large backpack or package) that will skew the SmartMat. It still is great though for a whole load of geeky ways to use your doormat, and is an even greater way to impress your friends when they come visit.
If SmartMat sounds as interesting to you as it does to us, be sure to check out the Kickstarter or even back the project to get your very own SmartMat. According to the creator it will start shipping in June, but no delivery date is guaranteed when it comes to a Kickstarter.
