Switchee Ltd is a Bristol & London based company that has developed a smart thermostat solution that is aimed at social housing to reduce energy bills.
The intelligent device learns the routine of the household, knowing when the house isn’t occupied, and turns the heating on or off accordingly. The device does not require complex interaction or configuration for the user and allows valuable data to be gathered remotely.
Realise joined the project right at the start. Testing every design decision to ensure the highest quality, they created CAD designs and prototypes before designing the final product.
Meanwhile, Cubik Innovation were originally approached to assist with the development of software drivers for the smart thermostat.
This quickly evolved into a larger scheme of work, incorporating PCB design and prototype manufacture, alongside firmware development. To make Switchee a really smart thermostat, the design utilises the following technologies:
From the initial involvement with driver generation, Cubik were subsequently engaged to help with the following aspects:
- Update and improvement of the electronic design and layout of the existing PCB using Altium Designer
- Development of the embedded application
- Interfacing to the cloud server software developers
- Design for CE approval
- EMC analysis and improvement
- Prototype batches of complete units including mechanical assembly
- EMC and safety testing through our approved, external supplier
- Assistance with CE Marking
- Batch production of the product at 300 Off
During the build of this product, Newicon were brought on board to help develop the backend software which allows the housing associations to manage and monitor the devices. Drawing insights and learning from the house data, obtained from homes across the country.
All in all, three of the four TPP partners were a part of this exciting project: a testament to the depth of expertise the partnership can bring to an IoT project.
The Internet of Things and smart devices continue to transform our homes, workplace and daily lives. As interest and development around data transfer, cloud-based applications and clever hardware increases, the market place for such products advances quickly.
If you're working on an an IoT product and would like access to the expertise and experience TPP can bring, make sure to book a call with Huw today.