TINK - sketching product experiences of connected objects

Market analysis - 37
2.2.4 - remote controlled objects
Objects connected to the Internet can be
“remotely controlled”.
There is a big distinction between
objects that are controlled by a web or a
smartphone interface, and objects that are
remotely controlled by other objects.
The simplest example of a product that is
part of the first category is the Philips Hue
lamp 22 (Figure 21) : A programmable light
bulb with Wi-Fi connection. Through a
smartphone app the user is able to change
the colour of the light. Because this action
usually takes place when the user is in the
same place of the lamp, the smartphone
app doesn’t have to provide any feedback
to the user.
This doesn’t happen in the case of
remotely controlled objects that are in
other locations. The LG smart appliances
with THINQ 23 technology is a family of
interconnected house appliances that the
user can remotely monitor and control from
a web app. The monitoring feature implies
this time a two-way communication
between the device and the user.
Objects can also be controlled by other
objects, this is the case of the Goodnight
Lamp (Figure 22), a family of interconnected
lamps that let you share your presence and
availability to your loved ones easily and
in an ambient way 24 .
In this case a main lamp is connected to
other lamps that are remotely controlled
by the first one. When the main lamp
(controller) is turned off, the others do the
same.
Figure 21. Hue (2012), Philips
Figure 22. Good night lamp (2012),