HOMIE HUB
A tiny and hyper-technological device, the first link in the chain of the HOMIE solution, it is the hub that must be installed inside the homes. Its main job is to sample an incredible quantity of energy data, pre-process them and efficiently send them over the ALLO cloud engine, where data are finally processed by the HOMIE’s Machine Learning algorithms.
In order to develop our HOMIE Hub, we worked a lot on the technology aspects, but at the same time we had a huge focus and effort on the design and the materials, with the target to give him an identity rather than just a shape. An identity that is enjoyable, simple and of course distinctive and recognisable
MAKING VISIBLE WHAT IS NOT
The electricity by its nature is not visible, is intangible, odourless, and all our human sins cannot have perception of it (of course excluding unpleasant and dangerous accidents). We cannot directly see with our eyes the electricity that every day we use and which allows to perform the essential tasks and activity we usually do, giving them for granted. During the development of the HOMIE Hub we wanted to work exactly around this concept: with its transparencies, HOMIE Hub makes “visible” what naturally is not. Not only the technology inside the product, but thanks to its capabilities also the electricity that it is constantly measured and monitored by HOMIE Hub, becomes for the fist time “visible” and more understandable.
We developed its forms with the target to simplify them, working in order to remove rather than add details.
The frontal part is made by a satiated and semitransparent plastic shell, that other than follows the golden ratio between upper and lower part, it allows to glimpse the electronic components inside the device. This intrinsically gives a feeling of “technology advancement” and in some way, with due proportion, showing the technological heart of the product it is like when the Ferrari shows the engine through the hood.
The HOMIE logo in the frontal upper part is exactly in the middle and its finishing and texture is fully transparent and lucid, allowing to see through the shell inside the device. With HOMIE we make visible what is not: the electricity we all use every day and the technology components who are at the core of our HOMIE Hub.
We have realised a product that can be easily fixed on the wall or alternatively placed on a surface like a shelf or a furniture we have in our homes near the electrical panel.
The frontal shell is shaped in a way that the Hub can be positioned with an inclination of 2 degrees in order to maximise its stability when it is placed stand alone.
The cables go out from the device without disturbing its harmonious line, contributing to create a natural and useful counterbalance, both when it is placed on a plane surface or even when it is fixed to the wall.
FORM FACTOR
This preliminary development phase, not only has the target to define the aesthetic aspects of the product but it takes under analysis the application, the dimensional constrains, the manufacturability needs, the security requirements, the cost, the aesthetic details up to the feeling we want to transfer from the product. In other words the identity is defined. The ideal solution is the one able to meet all those requirements and once identified it must be developed in every single detail.
When we started, after the analysis of the market, we wanted to have an holistic approach based on empathy. This means we had to empathise with the problems and the reasons that people have in the energy context we aimed to solve and improve, understanding their motivations, and the feelings in order to help in defining the best product possible.
The next natural step is the IDEATION of those solutions to then enter a cycle of PROTOTYPING (at different level of detail) and TESTING until the desired output is reached under every aspect. The Design Thinking approach is what we have used for every development of the HOMIE solution, i.e. for our mobile App, and Energy Portal other than for our HOMIE Hub that we are going to present here below.
Initial sketch
HOMIE Hub
This one is the original sketch of the idea that was able to met all the requirements we had, and here it is visibile as we have designed and conceived it the fist time. This solution, among all its features and characteristics, it has a peculiarity that goes even beyond the product design, an aspect linked with the human perception and psychology: its proportions.
Forms and proportions born with a simple sketch, a natural balancing between the upper part (where the electronic is allocated and the HOMIE logo is shown) and the lower part (the pedestal who also hides the cables and connectors). This perfect proportion in fact recalls the golden ratio, and this explains also why from the very beginning we got the feeling of having a product extremely well balanced and harmonious in its form.
Examples from art
and nature where the proportions of the golden section are present.
Obviously we do not have the audacity to compare our Hub to what Mother Nature does, or even Leonardo and Botticelli did, but if we have to take some inspirations, better to look at the best :-)
IT IS NOT ALWAYS BLACK AND WHITE
In addition to the concept of making visible what is not, there is another valid reason for which we have chosen to adopt a semitransparent plastic shell. In the upper part of the electronic board, among other electronic components, it is present a multi-color LED useful to comunicate the home consumption status in real-time. Thanks to the satinated finishing of the frontal shell, the light is spread offering a direct channel of communication with the user. In this way the user can receive info and intuitive feedbacks, that can be highly effective even without having the smartphone at hand.
It’s all right!
High consumption
Close to black-out
These feedbacks are extremely useful in all those cases where the user is a less digital and mobile oriented person, or even for example if the the user is a member of the same household but without the HOMIE App (both adults or children). Thanks to this feature, everyone can benefit from the real-time feedback of what is going on inside the house.
To offer the maximum of flexibility we have also offered to the user the possibility to adjust the intensity of the light of the different LED feedback generated by the HOMIE Hub. This highlight the level of importance we given to the possibility of interaction between the user and HOMIE Hub, considering the different habits, home environments and user preferences.
YOU CHOOSE: HUNG ON THE WALL OR STANDING
HOMIE Hub can be fixed on the wall or placed standing on a surface, in both cases the product is perceived in the same way. It presents to the user its frontal face and so the aesthetic does not change based on how it is positioned. This condition also ensure that the logo or the product labels with their relevant indications, always remain properly oriented and readable in each type of installation.
When HOMIE Hub is placed on a surface, the frontal shell works as a monolithic pedestal, which thanks to its delicate inclination it offers to the Hub the right stability. At the same time the pedestal works as a cover for the cables and connectors, ensuring clean lines, without adding unnecessary details but increasing the elegance.
On the product back, just above the product label, it is present a small hole that allows the Hub to be hung on the wall with just a tiny nail.
INSTALLATION: WE MADE IT SIMPLE
HOMIE Hub has been developed to be installed in few minutes without requiring any kind of modification to the existing electrical system. No need of switching off anything, or remove or even worst cut any cables. HOMIE Hub allows you to monitor the entire home and its devices, without the need to apply additional sensors for each of the appliances.
The entire configuration and installation process has been designed in order to be completed in few minutes by the user itself, without requiring any specific knowledge, preparation or electrical background.
The user is guided by the mobile app trough the configuration and installation flow, where every step is easily explained with a dedicated screen with simple texts, icons and real pictures.
HIGH PERFORMANCES IN A TINY HUB
HOMIE Hub is a tiny device with a lot power! For many aspects it is comparable to a modern mini-PC, integrating components that allow flexibility and reliability, ensuring 24/7 operation at high performance.
Samples per second
250.000
Handling
High flexibility for maximising performance
FPGA
Processing
Height: 110 mm
Width: 84 mm
Depth: 45 mm
Extendible up to 512 GB
2GB
Main memory
Custom version created by ALLO
LINUX
2.4Ghz integrated module
WiFi
Connectivity
SAFETY…STARTING FROM THE MATERIALS
We care about security as one of the main values to be considered during product development, so we put a lot of attention to this topic, beginning from the materials we adopted for our hub. The plastic case is made of polycarbonate. It has been selected not only for its cosmetic and mechanical features, but mainly for its level of safety.
Since HOMIE is also able to sense the voltage parameters of the home electrical circuit, it has to monitor and handle up to the typical 220V. For this reason the polycarbonate is a right choice, it can offer the required level of safety due to its self-extinguishing characteristics.
THE FIRST IMPRESSION COUNTS
We believe that user experience of a product starts from the very initial contact and this often means the packaging where the product is placed. The value and the perceived quality of the product are highly driven by these aspects, like a well designed and cured packaging, or even a personal message of thanks and welcoming.
When it is the end user to acquire and install HOMIE Hub, these aspects must be taken in high consideration, especially because the possibility of customisation and branding are huge and might have a positive impact for the user since the very first contact with HOMIE Hub.
TESTED AND
CERTIFIED
We wanted to be sure to offer a safe and reliable product under every point of view and we want this point to be certified by an entity who has the title to do that. In this case we really do not like the self-declaration approach, so we have commissioned all the security, safety and regulatory tests useful for the CE mark to a third party authorised and specialised laboratory. Our HOMIE Hub is fully aligned with all the requirements and it is CE compliant and marked.
HOMIE Hub has been evaluated against several specific tests to ensure compliancy with the electro-magnetic compatibility regulation, electrical and mechanical safety, product conformity with the EU rules for electrical and sensing devices and many other specific test for each of the applicable regulation.