CRESSKILL, N.J., & LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Olibra, makers of innovative devices for the smart home, today debuted their newest offering, the Bond, at CES 2017. The Bond is the first device to offer smart home integration for RF (radio frequency) remote-controlled appliances, and handles infrared as well. Olibra is showcasing the product in their CES Eureka Park booth, #51023.
The Bond enables mobile control of appliances that consumers have not been able to connect without installing expensive hardware. This includes ceiling fans, window AC units, garage doors, and power shades, among other appliances. Through its mobile app, the Bond integrates any RF or IR appliance with one press of an appliance’s remote. The user can then further customize functionality including speed settings or temperature controls.
“Analysts predict that the home automation market will hit $12.8 billion by 2020, yet there are 50 million devices sold every year that can’t be connected,” said Zohar Shinar, Founder and CEO of Olibra. “We developed the Bond to bridge the gap for these more traditional, remote-controlled devices. A smart home isn’t really smart unless it can include all necessary appliances.”
The Bond integrates seamlessly with smart speakers like the Amazon Echo, enabling voice commands to control traditional RF and IR appliances. Because the Bond is RF-enabled, it does not require direct line-of-sight between the Bond unit and an integrated appliance. Olibra has developed a complementary product, the PicoBond, which translates RF waves to infrared light and enables control of IR devices. The Bond can therefore serve as a hub for all of a consumer’s remote-controlled devices anywhere in the home.
“We believe that consumers shouldn’t have to make expensive upgrades to their appliances to gain connectivity. It should be simple,” added Perry Fox, Olibra Co-Founder and Executive VP. “With the Bond, we’ve succeeded in creating a ‘plug-and-play’ solution for the most commonly used devices. We’re excited to show it off this week at CES.”
About Olibra
Based in Creskill, NJ, Olibra develops technologies designed to connect traditional household devices to the smart home. Their flagship product, the Bond, is the first to enable the inclusion of RF remote-controlled devices into the connected home ecosystem. Learn more at www.olibra.io
