About this project
$91,804
984
Kickstarter campaign is over. Pre-orders are now available at www.smartchargelight.com !!!
Press Coverage
Time - This Smart Light Bulb Keeps Working Even If the Power Goes Out
NBC Today Show – Best of CES
Charlotte Observer – Idea to Marketplace
TechCrunch - SmartCharge Wants You Not To Notice Power Outages – At Least Until The Milk Starts To Stink
NBC News - With incandescents dead, smart bulbs step into the light
CBS/CNET - CES features wearable computers and robotics
BBC NEWSBEAT - CES 2014: Gadgets launched at Las Vegas electronics show
USA Today - What's cool at CES 2014: Robots, headbands & bulbs
TechHive - Bright ideas abound at CES, as gadget makers produce smarter lightbulbs
CIO - Bright Ideas Abound, as Gadget Makers Produce Smarter LED Bulbs
KARE 11 NBC Minneapolis - Gadget Nation's Steve Greenberg's finds at 2014 CES
FIRSTPOST: Photos: Smartphone-controlled cookers, rechargable bulbs and more at CES 2014
Yahoo News - Founder Shailendra Suman poses with a SmartCharge LED lightbulb
....and many more.
Product Design & Development - Kickstarter of the Week: This Bulb Stays On When the Grid Goes Dark - (Video Link)
GizWiz.Biz - A really different kind of LED light bulb. It shines in blackouts!
Zagg - SmartCharge Light Bulb Works Even When Your Power Is Out
Future Tech - Electricity Cut? Use "SmartCharge" LED Bulbs
Good Housekeeping - This is not your average light bulb
TrendHunter - Productively Energized Light Bulbs
SmartCharge™ LED Bulb: No Power - No Problem
First of its kind, SmartCharge™ is an intelligent LED light bulb that truly provides peace of mind.
It works like a normal light bulb even during power outages. With proprietary patent pending Grid & Switch Sensor technology, the SmartCharge™ Bulb senses a power outage, recognizes the ON/OFF position of your light switch and allows control of the light even with no utility/grid power. When the power goes out, the lights go out. The garage door won’t open, kitchen appliances won’t work, and the lamps in your house are useless. But with the SmartCharge™ Bulbs, you’ll never have to worry about being in the dark again. Your lights will continue to operate and even better, you can control them with your wall and lamp switches.
Simply Replace Your Old Bulbs
Simply replace any existing light bulb with a SmartCharge™ LED Bulb.
There’s no extra wiring, no ugly control box, no remote control or expensive electrical installation required.
Never notice a power outage - Like nothing happened
With SmartCharge™ Bulbs, you won’t even notice a power outage because the SmartCharge™ Bulb will continue to provide you with light. Turn On/Off your SmartCharge™ Bulbs by using the same light switch – it’s like a power outage never happened.
"Turn ON/OFF From The Same Switch Even During Power Outage"
Seems Like Magic - But it's Our Grid & Switch Sensor Technology
The heart of the SmartCharge™ Bulb is our patent pending Grid & Switch Sensor technology. It is capable of distinguishing between a loss of power due to opening of the line switch and a loss of power resulting from a grid failure when the line switch is either open or close.
Grid & Switch Sensor technology consists of three blocks:
A. Intelligent control circuit with grid sense and switch sense
B. Battery and battery charging circuit
C. Inverter along with few other elements
The result, an intelligent light bulb, which is immune to grid power. It always knows, even during a power failure, the wall switch position and turns the bulb ON or OFF based on that position.
If switch was ON when power failed, then the SmartCharge™ Bulb will remain ON.
If switch was OFF, the SmartCharge™ Bulb will remain OFF.
During a power outage, the switch still has control of the light bulb.
The following chart compares a SmartCharge™ LED Bulb to traditional bulbs in the market today:
Additionally, unlike other safety light bulbs that automatically switch on when the power goes out - regardless if you are in the room - the SmartCharge™ Bulb recognizes the light switch’s position to conserve its power and only draws from the battery when needed (unlike other “emergency lights"). Once power is restored, the bulb’s battery recharges itself to make sure you’re ready for another power outage or emergency.
Energy Efficient – Environment Friendly - Long Lasting
The SmartCharge™ Bulb helps cut electricity usage for lighting by up to 90%, saving you money and reducing the impact on the environment.
SmartCharge™ Bulbs are also long lasting, rated up to 40,000 hours or 25 years of life.
Endless Use – Anywhere – Everywhere
Convenience at its Best
When the power goes out, the whole house goes dark except for rooms using SmartCharge™ Bulbs, which stay on, or are ready to be turned on in another room if needed.
"Peace of Mind" for Everyone
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You won’t have to look for a flashlight, candles, or emergency lamp. You do what you do normally – just turn on the switch and the light comes ON.
SmartCharge™ is ideal for a porch light, because if the power goes out in your neighborhood, the light on your porch will stay ON.
Evolution & Current Status
We started working on this technology about 2 years ago. After many iterations and prototypes, we have working samples.
We used standard LED lighting components and finished the design of our final version (industrial design, hardware & firmware). We worked extensively with our manufacturing partner to come with optimal design which is not only compact and elegant but takes care of all the issues in LED lighting like heat sink, optics and power management. We have finished our industrial design and tooling has started.
Our next step is to produce the first batch of SmartCharge™ Bulbs for UL listing and final testing. While our bulb is under the Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approval process, we will start initial production planning.
The current version of the SmartCharge™ Bulb is limited to one bulb and one switch control. The ideal applications are table lamp, floor lamp, or overhead single bulb fixtures. It works for 2 way and 3 way switches but a switch can control only one bulb in the circuit. We are working on the enhanced technology where one switch can control all lights connected to it.
We have designed the bulb to work on 110 V - 240 V and it comes with E 26, E 27 and B 22 base socket types.
Who we are?
We are a small start up company with two employees right now. We designed and prototype our concept by a very reputable design company in India. Then we started working with a world class LED bulb manufacturer in China who integrated our technology inside the 5W LED light bulb. Currently they are working on final prioritization and UL approval process.
We're focused on developing great consumer products, which bring "Peace of mind". We aim to pioneer the emerging world of LED lighting with our technology, by making products in the consumer and small business lighting space providing safety and convenience. We were founded in 2012, and the 5 W SmartCharge™ LED Bulb is our first product.
Why Kickstarter?
Part of the idea behind the lean startup is to prove demand, and build products in a rapid, user-centered design cycle. By reaching out on Kickstarter, we can assess our demand, build a stronger relationship with our early adopters, and use feedback to make our product as amazing as possible.
Use of Funds
We've built our prototypes and figured out our supply chain. We need your help to take the next step. Kickstarter funds will be used towards putting SmartCharge™ Bulbs into production. We're experienced in this field and have led the development and manufacturing of many hardware products in previous companies, including the GasWatch (Propane Tank Gauge) and iFi Smart Tag (a Bluetooth proximity sensor device) so we know what it takes to take a concept and turn it into reality. By supporting SmartCharge™ on this platform, you get in early and get a premium product ahead of everyone else.
We’re asking you to help us make SmartCharge™ LED Bulb a reality.
Timeline
November 2013: Complete schematic and PCB design. Finalize Industrial design and firmware. Begin tooling.
January 2014: Tooling completed. First set of T1 samples produced. Start UL Listing process.
February 2014: Order PCB and components. Finalize tooling. Develop packaging.
March 2014: UL Testing Complete. First batch of SmartCharge™ Bulbs produced.
April 2014: Ship out SmartCharge™ Bulbs to Kickstarter supporters
Manufacturing
We have partnered with one of the leading manufacturers of LED light bulbs in the world as having a world-class manufacturing partner is the key to a quality product. To keep cost down, we are using existing LED light bulb and integrating our technology inside. We are also planning to develop our own grid and switch sensor technology customized circuit boards.
Thanks For Your Support
We've dedicated hundreds of hours thinking about the technical aspects of the project and how to deliver the world's smartest light bulb which truly provides "Peace of Mind" at an affordable price. Now you can help bring SmartCharge™ Bulbs to the world by being among the very first to own a SmartCharge™ LED Bulb!
Each SmartCharge™ Bulb is ready to install in a standard light bulb fixture right out of the box with no assembly or wiring; simply replace the bulb! They are available in following Base Type:
E 26 - North America
E 27 - Europe
B 22 - UK, India and Other countries
We are working on more options for different sizes of household & commercial lighting and other applications of our grid and switch sensor Technology. We’d like to hear from you if you have a recommendation.
Our Vision: "Peace of Mind"
"In this electronics age, besides impact on economic growth, the quality of human life depends on electricity almost as much as on food and shelter."
The SmartCharge™ LED bulb answers an important need – a way to insure that you’ll never be in the dark during a power outage. Everyone in the world depends upon light bulbs to go about their daily activities. But regular light bulbs and switches do not work during power outages. We are dependent on candles, flashlights and other emergency lighting when the power goes out. During outages, productivity is lost and accidents happen. Most light bulbs are based on century old technology and are not energy efficient, which impacts our environment. SmartCharge™ Bulbs are not only energy efficient, smarter, and last longer - they ensure that you won't be left in the dark during a power outage.
Risks and challenges
The SmartCharge™ LED bulb project is already at a late stage in the development process, and we are working with experienced industrial designers and electronic engineers to help mitigate risks. As a company, we have experience with manufacturing electronics in China, as well as the logistics involved in sourcing and shipping.
Having launched several products successfully, we understand and are aware of the numerous risks and challenges faced by entrepreneurs. These are some of the risks we may encounter:
UL Testing & Listing - The devices have been developed to meet all the safety requirements, but until we get the Underwriters Laboratories listing, we will not be able to ship the product. If any of the parameters need to be revised during UL testing, then we may need additional revisions to the electronics to pass the tests, which could cause delays.
Manufacturing - We have extensive experience manufacturing products in China and our manufacturer is one of the largest manufacturers of LED light bulbs. A key challenge is quality control, as manufacturing starts we’ll keep a close eye on quality both in person, and by using experienced inspectors.
Finally, we promise to keep you all in the loop every step of the way, so you know how we are making progress.
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Funding period
- (46 days)