- Strategy
- User Interface Design
- Web Application
The Brief
LightwaveRF is a pioneer of the smart home technology sector and developed the first internet enabled devices in 2008. The LightwaveRF product range includes devices for smart heating, lighting, power, sensors and monitoring. Kalexiko’s open approach to working with clients in every stage of the development lifecycle proved once again to be very successful in ensuring all plans were reviewed, amended and approved in an agile method to identify and remedy any pitfalls from the very start.
The Challenge
LightwaveRF required a platform that connected distributed systems, applications and hardware devices which would serve as a public facing control panel, internal management system and API for third party applications.
Our Approach
A centralised RESTful API was created for all peripheral applications and hardware devices to communicate with. We created a control panel user interface for mobile devices to control hardware devices such as dimmers, power switches and heating devices. We worked with native hardware device communication protocols and allowing them to be able to be remotely controlled through web based control panels including native iOS and Android applications.
Data was monitored to access the benefits of automating the control of remote devices. As an example, at Warwick university, rules were introduce to switch off radiator valves should windows be opened. This resulted in impressive commercial and environmental benefits. Energy monitors were used to monitor household energy usage across any domestic appliance and calculate and display their relative cost allowing residents to make informed decisions on their energy consumption. Timers and Events were added to devices to give users control over when devices could be switched on or off and create a sequence of events over time. An calendar interface was created to manage heat schedules for heating devices allowing users to easily schedule heat patterns throughout their properties.
The Finished Piece
The system has been successfully rolled out to an end-user base of over 20,000 covering not only UK, but Europe-wide also. The API powers iOS and Android mobile apps as well as the whole Web app, ensuring all data is in-sync and Users’ experience is device agnostic. The LightwaveRF platform not only offers a range of domestic solutions but also has wide commercial application. The Commercial Web Manager implemented in the Warwick University Project is now attracting growing attention. This allows building managers to monitor a whole site, a building , a room within a building or an individual device and provide realtime information on energy and building status. The platform captures data to create valuable insight in to user habits and energy management. The success of the commercial application has sought interest from schools and housing associations nationwide.
