This home security system is just slightly bigger than a quarter

The CoinGuard home security system is just slightly bigger than a quarter

By Drew Prindle October 7, 2014

coinguard home security system kickstarter — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Now that this whole Internet of Things zeitgeist has really stated to take hold, simple DIY security systems are becoming increasingly common. Dozens of different companies have developed their own take on the idea, and while normally the announcement of yet another entrant into this category wouldn’t be particularly noteworthy, this new one from San Diego-based startup Pilot Labs has managed to catch our attention.

It’s called CoinGuard, and while the tech inside of the system isn’t all that groundbreaking, the design of it definitely is. Despite being equipped with motion sensors and some advanced networking tech, each CoinGuard module is no bigger than a half dollar coin.

This tiny size means that you can place CoinGuard practically anywhere, on anything that you want to monitor — be it your windows, keys, jewelry, front door, refrigerator door, medicine cabinet, or even your cookie jar. Whenever the embedded accelerometer senses movement, the module beams an alert to the accompanying network hub, which then serves you a notification on your mobile device no matter where you are in the world. And because the system runs on ZigBee, you also don’t need to worry about range — the modules work together to create a mesh network and relay signals across long distances.

This isn’t the first motion-based security system we’ve ever come across (check out Notion), but it’s definitely the smallest, which ultimately gives it a broader range of potential uses. Since CoinGuard can fit just about anywhere, it’s not limited to the same locations that bigger, more sophisticated monitoring devices are.

Obviously, this system has some big limitations compared to full-fledged security systems outfitted with cameras, but not everybody wants such robust security, and for those simply looking for an easy and affordable way to make their home safer, CoinGuard would likely be an excellent option. If you back the Pilot Labs’ Kickstarter project, you can pre-order yourself a set of three (plus network hub) for around $80 bucks. The project is still a long way from achieving it’s 100K funding goal, but it’s still got about a month left in the campaign, and if all goes well the company expects to ship the first units to backers as early as December 2014.

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