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

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