Meet the light looking to become your alternative home controller
Smart speakers may be on the rise as the commanders of our homes, but one startup is instead looking to offer a light-first smart hub that can connect your home.
Launching initially on Indiegogo, San Francisco startup Auri Light has announced the release of an alternate hub to the likes offered by Amazon and Google, with its eponymous device prioritising mental wellbeing and using a combination of light and sound to help calm the user.
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Integration with Amazon Alexa still makes this a smart home connector, meaning the Auri is able to help control thermostats, cameras and other lights, though the emphasis here is well and truly on the light being beamed throughout the home.
The wavy speaker is able to be controlled through either the panel built on top, as shown below, or through voice, with the company also indicating that it features thousands of ambient sounds to help users focus when working, sleep better at night or improve mood.
If you’d prefer to listen to your own music, instead of the sounds of ocean waves or a rainforest, you can, of course, also link up Alexa-compatible apps, such as Spotify and Amazon Music, and listen to your own music.
The Auri starts at $129 (around 45% off its eventual price), with some bundles also including the Auri Motion Sensor (to help kick the light into action, say, when you walk in through the front door) and the Auri Oil Diffusor (which helps pair the ambient lighting with scent). Delivery is also expected next March, with the company’s wider funding goal resting at $20,000.
We’ll be looking to test out the Auri over the coming few weeks, so stay tuned to see if this nifty-looking light hub can help us feel more zen – and, you know, control our bathroom bulbs at the same time.
