iDevices Discusses Background of Instinct Smart Light Switch at Alexa Live Event

EIN iDevices 400

July 23, 2020

The groundbreaking development process behind Instinct, iDevices’ smart light switch with Alexa built-in, was highlighted during Amazon’s virtual developer community event Alexa Live, on July 22. The video of the event is available on-demand.

iDevices, the smart home division of Hubbell Incorporated, launched Instinct — both a Wi-Fi light switch and Alexa built-in device — in August 2019. Instinct was the first product on the market to utilize Alexa Voice Service Integration for AWS IoT Core, a feature of AWS IoT Core designed to allow more device makers to integrate Alexa voice control by offloading memory intensive tasks from physical devices to the cloud.  

During Alexa Live, a video featuring iDevices VP of Engineering Shawn Monteith discussed why the iDevices development team transitioned from a memory-intensive processor to the AWS solution.  

“In January (2019), we transitioned from a Linux-based system to this much lighter weight processor,” Monteith says in the video. “We went from a typical design cycle of about 12 to 18 months, down to 4 months. That was really what sold it for me — time to market.” 

Monteith also explained how Instinct “is more than just a light switch,” bringing technology previously only available in standalone plug-in devices to the gangbox for a cleaner, clutter-free voice and music experience.   

“If you think about the innovation in the gangbox, the light switches and outlets, there really hasn’t been anything,” he says. “In the last 3 or 4 years, yes you can control it with an app; now you can control it with voice, and what we’re really trying to do is just extend that technology and bring some innovation to it.” 

Alexa Live is a free educational event for skill builders, device makers, and business leaders. iDevices was featured during the session titled “Build Your First Alexa Built-in Device.” 

Go HERE to view the videos from the event on-demand

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