UNIQUE CZECH IDEA – HOME CONTROLLED WITH WOODEN CUBES

• Control by cubes simplifies the use of complex smart home functions and can also help disabled persons
• The idea of Tomáš Poláček received the prize for the best technological innovation in this year’s edition of T-Mobile Takeoffs

Prague, 23 July 2020 – Smart home solutions usually include a number of different technologies controlled by means of touch screens or smart phone applications. However, Tomáš Poláček from Babice u Říčan came up with an idea of how to make heating, lighting, window shading, home cinema or power socket control as simple as possible. His innovative solution uses wooden cubes that trigger an action or a sequence of commands when merely turned on the selected side. The cubes can be used to control the functions of the ordinary smart home systems and thus make technologies accessible also to visually impaired persons, people with impaired fine motor skills, children, and generally people who cannot or do not want to study complex smart home control systems.

“My objective was to develop such a method for controlling smart homes or devices in corporate meeting rooms that will have utterly minimalist user interface – or better yet, none at all. Cubes and polyhedrons enable launching specific commands or entire macros, depending on which side they are turned on. It cannot be easier than that,” explains Tomáš Poláček, the author of the cutting-edge solution for controlling smart home functions.

The cubes are a hermetically closed system featuring an accelerometer, electronics and firmware designed by Tomáš Poláček, which is powered by a battery with a service life of more than ten years. The cube does not require any additional servicing and can identify abnormal situations such as a fall or loss of connection (when, for example, the control is taken away by mistake by a visitor).

The wooden cubes or polyhedrons have descriptions of functions engraved on them, thus serving also as a design home accessory. By turning the cube, the users can set the heating thermostat, lighting, security system or stereo mode. When turned, the cube sends a command to the transceiver which is connected to the specific smart home systems by means of standardised interfaces. No other control methods, such as gestures or combination of movements, are intentionally supported apart from the cube being turned on a particular side.

“The cube has no screen and does not therefore require the user to make decisions in the from of different questions, confirmations and approvals, which are customary with other systems. Yet, the cube does give feedback – by merely looking at the cube, you can see, even with a time lag, what values are set (e.g., the temperature of 22 degrees or the pre-set alarm times). The cubes can thus be easily controlled, for instance, by senior citizens or small children. Everything can also be checked by touch, it is also possible to have the descriptions engraved in Braille, so this solution can also be conveniently used by visually impaired people,” adds Tomáš Poláček.

Tomáš Poláček developed (and prepared for mass production) a converter for controlling audio-visual equipment by means of an infrared interface, a Wi-Fi/LAN converter enabling the use of the IFTTT service, a special version of the transceiver for DIYers and students, and also independent sockets that are directly controlled by the cube and can be installed within a few seconds. Another area addressed by Tomáš Poláček with his products are converters for shutter control and integration in smart bulbs.

“After the cubes and converters have been tested successfully, I now concentrate on the preparation of large-scale production and further development of peripheral devices. I would also like to establish partnership with integrators of smart home devices who could offer the cubes along with their home automation system controls and, naturally, also with retailers who will include sets of cubes and devices controlled by them in their offer,” says Tomáš Poláček, describing his future plans.

With his cubes, Tomáš Poláček won the Prize for the Best Technological Solution that was awarded within this year’s edition of T-Mobile Takeoffs, a competition for start-up businesses. Together with this prize, he received not only a financial injection of CZK 150,000 for putting his idea in production, but also financial, accounting, legal and marketing consultancy. T-Mobile Takeoffs has supported beginning entrepreneurs for ten years already. It offers free business workshops that are available to general public, and financial donations as well as additional services and marketing and PR support to the winners.

T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

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