It used to be that outfitting your home with a security system meant contacting a traditional security agency like Brinks or ADT, having a professional install sensors all over your house, and paying a monthly fee to keep your service going. That’s not the case anymore. Now that sensor tech has become drastically cheaper than it used to be, cheap DIY home surveillance systems are starting to spring up left and right. Take a stroll through the technology section of a site like Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’re bound to encounter at least one.
The latest entrant into this burgeoning category is a device called Blink, and despite being just as sensor-studded and multi-talented as its predecessors, this little gizmo will only put you back about 50 bucks. That’s unheard of, and almost sounds too good to be true when you look at the specs.
Under the hood, Blink is a veritable treasure trove of different sensor tech. It’s got temperature sensors, motion detectors, a built in microphone, and a full HD video camera outfitted with night vision. For comparison’s sake, that’s almost the exact same setup as Piper, but for a fraction of the price. Furthermore, despite having all these sensors built in, Blink is also much smaller than similarly-equipped devices. The entire system is no bigger than the palm of your hand.
And of course, just as you’d expect from any card-carrying smart device, Blink also sports a range of radios that allow it to connect to your home WiFi network and interface with other connected devices. Using the accompanying iOS or Android app, you can access Blink’s live video feed, remotely arm or disarm the system, or simply get an alert when motion or noise is detected. Oh, and did we mention it’s completely wireless? You don’t even have to plug it into your wall.
The device’s creators have already produced several different prototypes, and has now turned to Kickstarter to raise the necessary funds for volume production. At time of writing, the project is just a few thousand short of its $200K funding goal and has well over a month left in the campaign — so it’s a fairly safe bet that it’ll be successful. Find out more here.