Technological progress and innovative scientific researches radically change the way of living. Digital technologies have transformed the world around us, shattering the spatial boundaries and facilitating information dissemination. And these changes concern the core of our daily life – our homes, making them “smart” with implemented automation systems and other know-how add-ons. Smart home implies a building where the security system, energy savings, AC are monitored and controlled remotely or automatically with an operating system that unifies household appliances with the use of data transmission technologies. Earlier most of them were offered as a turnkey customized solution which was pretty expensive. But the progress is moving at a rapid pace and today we would like to show you how easy it has become to have smart hi-tech wireless facilities at your home. The equipment we had just ten years ago is already considered as a ‘past era’. Nowadays companies put on the market new devices almost every day and the variety of their capabilities is vast as never before. The offer is growing and technologies are becoming more affordable for common users. One of the components that brings us to the whole new level of ‘smartness’ is the ability to monitor our sleep environment.  Such delicate service could be offered as a top class just few years ago.

Lack of sleep or bad conditions during the time of sleep can influence our life badly.  Scientific studies show that poor sleep can lead to mood disorders, relationship troubles, low job performance, and could even cause heart disease and diabetes. Studies on brain and body’s circadian rhythms reveal that there are two forms of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement) and NREM (non-rapid eye movement). We dream during the REM stage and it takes up to 25% of time we spend asleep. The rest is spent in NREM, which has four stages from light to deep. Awakening during the light stage of your REM is a physical need to feel refreshed and rested in the morning. We would like to introduce you a new smart device that can analyze sleep habits of your family members. This innovative product called HugOne was presented on the traditional Consumers Electronics Show (CES), a global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

In collaboration with our customer Sevenhugs Company - a European corporation that develops innovative technologies for monitoring surrounding environment during sleep time -  we were working on a digital side of the device which will help people change their sleeping habits to better ones and positively contribute to their health. The technology thoroughly controls temperature, humidity and air quality, guiding in creation of better conditions for sleep and ensuring the awakening full of energy.

We pursued two main goals: make sure our customer receives the best service, and final customers have the best solution at an affordable price. The development process was adhered to these principles resulting in realization of the HugOne final version. The HugOne is placed on a visible place and operates as a CO2 measurer and a hotspot for other devices. The spot connects to small sensors called “minihugs” that are placed under a mattress or pillow. The great thing about them is that they don’t need to be recharged constantly. Minihugs evaluate your sleep environment (temperature, humidity), your movements during the sleep cycles and then these collected data are retrieved by its “brain” center HugOne hub/hotspot. The hub analyses the received data and sends glowing light signals along with the updated information to the mobile app on what actions should be taken. For example, turn on the AC system, ventilate the room, switch on your air humidifier, or that it’s time for the children to go to bed, etc. Moreover, to avoid any electromagnetic waves in the room during the night it turns off radio signals and retrieves data from minihugs only when they detect that nobody is on the bed. Those mini sensors are run without Wi-Fi or Bluetooth helping to protect family members from adverse effects. Noveo team worked hard to create a website for CES, mobile application and server side. The website needed to be a “face” of this product, helping people to virtually meet it and get information about the company and the technology, read press releases, subscribe for news and place orders. The site uses Google Analytics and some other popular social networks and services. The mobile app is designed to control devices that monitor sleep conditions. It gives the possibility to configure devices, assign them to family members, collect sleep statistics and display it in charts and graphs. The app also includes a smart alarm that addresses different sleep cycles.

To achieve high performance and efficiency standards, Noveo team conducted the development with the use of popular services and data storages that incorporate cross-regional architecture. One of the main priorities of the system is the scalability, as the number of users is estimated to be around 1 million and it’s just the beginning.

In addition to the listed functions the HugOne can be connected to Philips Hue lighting system giving the user full control of lights in apartment right at his fingertips. The lights can be turned on and off gradually according to the user sleeping habits and cycles. The room will be lit up in the morning with the set up colors and brightness and this can help to nullify reluctant awakening. The other interesting device the HugOne can be connected to is a Nest smart learning thermostat debuted in 2011 which can learn the user temperature habits and preferences based on statistical estimates and collected data. The Nest is plugged to AC system and as the HugOne has several sensors: temperature, humidity, movements. When nobody’s home it will lower the temperature reducing expenses on heating. Any adjustments are possible to make from the HugOne app as well. Systems like that contribute to electricity and heating bills decrease. How awesome is that!? We definitely like it!

Thanks to new smart devices like HugOne, Philips Hue or Nest, anyone can open their eyes in the morning at a proper sleeping cycle in a properly humidified room full of warming lights. These technologies can take care of your health and save your money and time.

We are very happy to be a part of this new tendency in home automation technological progress!