An Upgraded Eve Water Guard
Home automation company Eve unveiled its newest water monitor, the HomeKit enabled Eve Water Guard. The Eve Water Guard can monitor large room areas using a 6.5 foot cable that serves as a long sensor. When the device detects water, it can trigger an alert in other HomeKit accessories; for example turning off the outlet your washing machine is plugged. The most notable addition to the new device is Thread support. The Water Guard is one of 10 devices from Eve that supports Thread.
The NPD Take:
- Though smart water sensors are a small portion of total home automation revenue, the category grew 34% during the 12 months ending in March.
- The addition of Thread support to increase interoperability among home automation devices is part of a larger industry trend (which includes the Matter specification backed by several smart home brands) aimed at making the buying and owning process easier for consumers.
Roborock Launches a New Robot Vacuum
The Roborock S7 MaxV is the company’s new flagship vacuum. In addition to improved sucking power and sonic mopping to handle household messes, the S7 has an all new obstacle avoidance system called ReactiveAI 2.0. This technology pairs an RBG camera, 3D structured light scanning and a neural processor to allow the vacuum better vision in light and dark conditions. Compatible with all of the major voice applications, the Roborock features support for Siri Shortcuts and offers the ability to do live video calls to see what your vacuum sees.
The NPD Take:
- While robotic vacuums have been on the market for several years, updated features such as enhanced obstacle detection and deeper integration into key smart home platforms will drive adoption among a wider audience.
- Though the Roborock is only intended to be used for cleaning, the addition of front facing cameras and the ability to stream video adds security-type features to the devices. This is another way to promote the appeal and versatility of robot vacuums to new potential owners.