Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tactile has collaborated with start-up ecobee to refine their ecosystem of smart, eco-friendly, home monitoring products, including a new indoor high-resolution SmartCamera that’s intuitive from installation to everyday use.
The Toronto-based ecobee is a leader in smart home connect products that help consumers conserve energy and improve comfort.
The new SmartCamera was recently awarded with a prestigious 2021 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Retaining the look and feel for ecobee’s current and future products was one of Tactile’s main objectives.
The SmartCamera with voice control is ecobee’s next big evolution in cohesive home monitoring with 1080p resolution, 180-degree field of view, motion and person detection, night mode, integration with any smart home ecosystem, and the ability to view its Livestream from anywhere via the ecobee mobile app.
The firm’s patented Smart Focus allows the ecobee SmartCamera to recognize when a person enters the frame and adjusts to keep them front and center as they move.
Unique to the SmartCamera is the built-in Amazon Alexa and two-way talk capabilities, allowing voice commands (including arming and disarming the system) and virtual assistant responses right from its speaker.
Additionally, the SmartCamera has on-device processing that’s more responsive and better protects customers’ privacy concerns.
They optimized the internal tech with the goal of making the overall device smaller and less intrusive in your home.
Through a rigorous combination of sketching, CAD, rendering, 3D printing and user research, a thoughtful design was ensured.
Unique to the SmartCamera, the built-in Amazon Alexa and two-way talk capabilities allow for voice commands.
From a wall to a shelf or table, the SmartCamera moves with you. Its magnetic conical base can either be placed on a surface or be zipped to the wall with a single (included) screw and sleeve.
The SmartCamera’s versatile design blends into your home, but when needed, makes itself known with lights and sirens.
When mounted on the wall, the built-in back gimbal allows for an additional degree. For example, this allows you to aim the camera up or down a hallway.
While many cameras use a ball and socket connection, the SmartCamera has the advantage of always keeping the view vertical and won’t get twisted diagonally relative to its base.
Unlike other DIY security systems, the SmartCamera is the hub for ecobee’s home monitoring system. You don’t need a tower and a numeric code—it knows when you are home and turns off automatically.
The SmartCamera can be used as a standalone product or can work harmoniously with ecobee’s SmartSensor for doors and windows.
In addition, the SmartCamera integrates with any smart home ecosystem.
Project: ecobee SmartCamera
Designers: Tactile Inc. and Ecobee, Inc.
Manufacturer: Ecobee, Inc.
