Nordic Semiconductor demonstrates smart home technologies at CES

CES is the world's leading consumer electronics exhibition and is organised by the U.S.-based Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The event will be held in Las Vegas, NV, from January 6^th to 9^th, 2016.

Nordic's flagship exhibit is the 'Bluetooth Smart Candy House' designed to demonstrate, with a light-hearted twist, how Bluetooth Smart is a foundation technology for the wirelessly-networked smart home. The Candy House comprises four rooms which can be entered by operating Bluetooth Smart locks from a smartphone app. The lights in the rooms can be turned on from the same app. CES visitors will choose which room to enter and illuminate depending on their candy preference.

In addition to the Candy House, Nordic's booth will host numerous static and interactive demonstrations of Bluetooth Smart technology. Key applications include home security, sports & fitness monitors, smartwatch technology, wireless charging and payment cards.

Companies from North America, Europe, and Asia using Nordic's award winning nRF51 and the recently launched 64MHz ARM Cortex-M4F CPU-powered nRF52 Series BluetoothSmart solutions will demonstrate and talk about their products on the booth. The partner companies are listed here:

• BlooLoc is a solution for accurate (better than 1m) indoor localisation for applications such as venue navigation, person and asset tracking, and flow analysis for retail. The company's solution is compatible with Apple iBeacon and BlooLoc's low investment and operating cost makes it suitable for small shops and large venues such as malls and airports;
• Chronos is the thinnest wearable and attaches to the back of a conventional watch to deliver notifications, track activity throughout the day, and enable the watch to control a smartphone. With Chronos attached, a tap on a conventional watch controls a smartphone's media player, silences phone calls, and takes pictures;
• ClearGrass will exhibit Amber, a chic watchcase which enables a user to charge an Apple Watch and an Apple iPhone while on the move. ClearGrass also develops and sells technology to form wireless networks and to interconnect with mobile devices and the Cloud;
• Enfucell will exhibit a disposable sports sensor patch typically used in high-rate motion tracking applications for sports training. The patch includes a battery, Bluetooth Smart microcontroller, accelerometer, and gyroscope, and transfers data to a companion app on a smartphone;
• Gill Electronics will showcase its resonant wireless power solutions. The company's wireless charging technology allows for convenient access to power and a unique user experience. TesLink wireless power solutions are designed for use in the consumer electronics, transportation, hospitality, furniture, infrastructure, and medical markets;
• Huitong is a remote control solution provider and a pioneer of Bluetooth Smart remote controls. The company's Bluetooth Smart remote controls incorporate key-press, keyboard, voice control, air mouse and touchpad, and feature very low power consumption. The company has applied for many international invention patents for remote control technology;
• ilumi's MeshTek modules are claimed to be the first Bluetooth Smart connectivity solutions to support both a connection- and broadcast-based wireless mesh. MeshTek enables manufacturers to add Bluetooth connectivity quickly and provides simple end-user set up and network scalability, reliability, and speed;
• Lightup's debut product combines magnetic circuit blocks with an augmented reality tutor app, enabling anyone to learn how to build electronics projects and program them to do anything. Children can program their projects wirelessly with drag-and-drop code blocks, get personalised real-time guidance, and share creations with a worldwide community;
• Lockitron Bolt enables keyless entry using a smartphone. The technology unlocks the door when a user returns home thanks to Sense. Access can be shared with friends and family on a permanent or temporary basis and activities can be tracked using Android and iOS mobile apps. Bolt can also be controlled from anywhere in the world with the addition of Bridge;
• Lumo Bodytech has developed a platform to optimise performance and address human biomechanics through the real-time tracking of body movement. Current products include the Lumo Lift and Lumo Back posture coaches and activity trackers, and the Lumo Run smart running shorts;
• Noke is a smart lock that automatically connects to a Bluetooth Smart Ready smartphone. Instead of fumbling for keys, a user can walk up to Noke, press the shackle, and instantly access their possessions. Users can send virtual keys to friends and family and monitor the lock's history in Noke's app for connected, convenient security;
• Soprod is part of the industrial watchmaking group Festina Group Switzerland. Soprod develops and produces connected analog movements. Soprod is independent and guarantees a high quality and regular supply to its customers. The company's Bluetooth Smart smartwatch platform enables any watch manufacturer to launch a smartwatch extension to their range;
• SWYP is an ''intelligent' connected card that replaces credit-, debit-, loyalty-, and gift-cards. The company's dynamic credential technology together with an integrated display allows the SWYP card to transform itself into any card at the press of a button. SWYP is designed to be ultra-secure using seamless two-token authentication and bank-grade encryption.

"Bluetooth Smart is already strong candidate for connected- or smart-home applications because it is a proven technology that's interoperable with smartphones. That makes it convenient because, for example, consumers can use their handsets as controllers - eliminating proprietary solutions," says J. Darren O'Donnell, Director of Sales - Americas, Nordic Semiconductor. "And new developments coming in 2016 will add mesh networking capability--together with a range boost and an increase in bandwidth--enhancing Bluetooth Smart's suitability for the smart home.

"Nordic's customers are already commercialising lighting, security and other smart home applications using our nRF51 and nRF52 Series Bluetooth Smart SoCs," continues O'Donnell. "CES 2016 presents the perfect opportunity to demonstrate some of these applications to the world and show that the smart home is rapidly moving from vision to reality."

Smart homes use wireless technology to connect heating, lighting, security, and other domestic appliances to automated, intelligent control systems, smartphones and the Internet. The sector is rapidly expanding. U.S. analyst ON World, for example, forecasts that by 2020, there will be over 100m Internet connected wireless light bulbs and lamps worldwide, up from 2.4m this year. And analyst MarketsandMarkets predicts that today's $20bn smart home sector will expand to nearly $59bn by 2020.

International CES boasts more than four decades of success. The 2015 event reached a record 176,676 visitors with 48,833 coming from outside the U.S. The show also set a number of other records, including more than 3,600 exhibitors, more than 207,000m² of exhibit space, and 153 countries represented.