Just in time for summer, and hot on the heels of similar product announcements from startups like Quirky and Tado, a Slovenian company by the name of Monolyth has launched yet another smart air conditioning device on the crowdfunding platform Indiegogo.
Much like some other recently-announced smart AC products, the Monolyth transforms your normal AC unit into a smart AC unit — one that reacts to your location, anticipates your presence, and automatically adjusts the temperature for you. Underneath its sleek black shell, the device is equipped with an array of different environmental sensors, so much like Nest’s infamous thermostat, it can tell when you’re home or away. When it detects that the house is empty, Monolyth will turn your air conditioning off to save power, and when it senses that you’re headed back (with the help of it’s geofencing feature) it’ll flip the system on and adjust your home’s temp so that it’s perfect by the time you return.
Truth be told, it’s almost exactly the same thing as the successfully-funded device Sensibo, which was first announced back in May. Just like Sensibo, Monolyth isn’t a full-fledged, self-contained smart AC unit, but instead is a clever retrofit that gives your normal AC an Internet-connected brain, so to speak. The idea is that, if/when this device hits the market, you won’t have to shell out big bucks for a fancy smart AC system, and can instead just use Monolyth to add new capabilities to your existing setup. It’s designed to work with a wide range of different AC types, including both window-mounted units and ones built into your walls.
In terms of functionality, Monolyth definitely bears a striking resemblance to some of the other smart AC units we’ve seen, but that’s not to say it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Based on the device’s Indiegogo page, it appears that it’s got a few more sensors under the hood than its competitors. In addition to temperature, Monolyth can also keep track of barometric pressure, humidity, and even air quality; so it takes more environmental factors into account when learning your preferences. And to top it all off, the Monolyth team plans to release the system with an open API, so if you want to build your own custom solution, you totally can.
The project is currently seeking $50K to fund it’s initial production run, and if you back the project now while it’s in the early stages, you can lock one down for just $119 — or $79 if you’re quick.
