Ikea’s smart home reset goes back to basics

He points out that Ikea is on the board of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) and has actively contributed to the development of the Matter platform since the days of the 2019-2021 CHIP project: “We have recently been able, as a company, to take a strategic position to completely transform.”

Last September, Ikea updated its DIRIGERA smart home hub, itself the focus of connectivity and compatibility issues in the forums, with Matter support. This involves acting as a material bridge, connecting older Ikea devices – those that rely on Zigbee technology – to the wider ecosystem rather than rendering them completely junk.

The matter ecosystem is not yet truly global; The industry continues to work towards this. Entire categories of connected products, e.g Smart surveillance cameras, Video doorbells, Robotic vacuum cleanersand Smart locks They are waiting for the issue to be supported. Enthusiasts have been bridging the gaps between best-in-class devices, made by different brands, digitally for years at this point, if not decades for hardcore automation tinkerers.

Unfortunately, there’s not much here for true smart home heads. “Early adopters will obviously appreciate the lower prices, and I think most will appreciate the interoperability, not having to buy a specific core and actually being able to use what they have at home,” says Granath. “I think they’ll also like some of the improvements we’ve made to remote controls, where we don’t need a separate remote for everything.” He also realizes that for the vast majority of IKEA customers, “it doesn’t matter.” It’s simply the thing that gets them lower prices and, in theory, a lot less setup mess.

Smart home?

The ALPSTUGA air quality sensor is likely the device that indicates the direction in which Ikea’s contributions to future smart homes are headed. Like its predecessor, VINDSTYRKA, it can connect to Ikea air purifiers to automate fan speed depending on PM2.5 particle levels in the indoor air, and this new iteration also adds CO2 monitoring.

cc by pHPhoto: Courtesy of IKEA

“We’re improving some of the sensors, taking into account the feedback we’ve gotten along the way, and trying to make them more useful,” says Granath. “I actually brought one home. I installed it in my living room, and my wife said ‘Oh another smart product,’ but I said ‘OK, but watch the CO2 values.’ If it’s less than a thousand, you’ll sleep better.” She now checks the levels manually, opens doors and tries to record the number.

There’s another aspect to why this isn’t actually a tech Groundhog Day, as we relive 2012 over and over again, which is where AI now fits into the smart home: “Material is one piece of that puzzle,” Granath says. “It’s a good foundation in terms of technology to make that shift happen. And as AI matures, we’re at the point where infrastructure, connectivity and actual intelligence are going to coincide and actually create that smart home that we’re looking for.”