Smoke detectors are essential for quickly detecting a fire in the house, but what if your home could sound the alarm before the fire even started? Prevention is the best solution for house fires, and some new smart home technology claims to do just that.
How Smart Homes Detects a Fire Before It Ignites
It may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, but a smart home can spot a fire before it even starts. As reported in a press release on PR Web, the Ting by Whisker Labs is designed to pre-emptively stop fires from happening in the home.
The Ting looks for common house fire catalysts around the home and lets the residents know if something looks amiss. This includes identifying the tiniest sparks from a wire or device, which a human has no realistic chance of noticing.
The Larger Use for the Ting: Stopping Wildfires
Keeping a vigilant watch over a home’s electronics is a fantastic way to spot potential house fires before they happen. However, when multiple Tings in a neighborhood come together, they can stop something else: wildfires.
When several residents in a community install a Ting, they all begin combining their data to spot problems on a power grid level. This allows them to pick up on problems with transformers, utility wires, and grid arcs, all of which could ignite dry vegetation and cause a wildfire.
As such, utility companies are interested in working together with Whisker Labs to help protect communities. The Tings in a neighborhood spot problems in the power grid, and the utility people use the data to fix any issues before they do any damage.
Bob Marshall, the CEO of Whisker Labs, is rightfully proud of what his technology can do:
No one could have imagined a few years ago that a grid-independent, community-based home technology would be a solution to high-end grid monitoring. We’re excited that this simple yet exceptionally smart home service can simultaneously serve utility operators and the community.
A Spark of Inspiration for Whisker Labs
As smart home tech develops, so too does its ability to spot problems faster than any human could. If the Ting takes off, we may see far fewer house files and wildfires as a result.
Smart homes don’t just help protect against fires; they can also keep themselves safe from burglars. In fact, if you’re leaving for a long period of time, some smart gadgets can help you keep an eye on it no matter where you are.
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