Our product line is always under active development, with a view to including the key things you need to effectively automate your home, business, or any other space. We’re constantly developing new ideas, so check back often to see what else we’ve come up with! In the meantime, here is our current product line:
VirageHub
The brains of the operation. A hub integrates the various components of your home automation system, tracks the history of your devices and sensors, manages automations, and provides the interface used to control things. This is what makes the difference between a remote control light and actual automation. There are several excellent open-source hubs available, so rather that re-invent the wheel we focused on creating a solid hardware platform that delivers speed and reliability to your system, without breaking the bank.
We started with a 32 GB high speed SATA M.2 SSD. This provides ample space, accelerates the performance of your system, and most importantly is more reliable that SD cards or other forms of storage. To handle the processing, we chose a Raspberry Pi 4, with 2GB of memory. This provides an optimal balance between performance and cost to provide quick response times and make your system feel truly real-time. Finally, we packaged it in an all-metal case, with dedicated heat sinks and a fan to keep things cool.
To give users maximum flexibility, we have created customized images for the three major Home Automation systems, designed to work seamlessly with Virage Devices out of the box, and that can be easily installed on your VirageHub using a PC or Mac and the supplied USB cable (see the Support area for more information about supported systems).
The VirageHub ships with a 5V 3A UL-listed power supply, and a USB-A cable for easy installation of one of the Virage-created Home Automation software images.
Switches and Plugs
The most basic element of home automation is the ability to control the lights in your space. With our wifi-based dimmer and standard in-wall switches you can control any type of light (dimmers require dimming-compatible bulbs/fixtures). Our electrical outlet allows for independant control (physically and electronically) of the top and bottom sockets, and also offers a software-switchable 2A USB outlet.
While we have put a lot of effort into making these devices easy to configure and use, we also recognize that sometimes people want to do their own thing, so our switches, dimmers and plugs can also be OTA flashed with your favorite ESP8266-compatible firmware.
All Virage direct-wire devices are ETL Listed, and compliant with both US and Canadian (UL and CSA) standards, and come with a wall plate, wire nuts and screws for installation in a regular north American electrical box. They are fully compatible with Decora® wall plates and can be easily combined with standard Decora® format devices and wall plates in a multi-gang electrical box.
Radio to WiFi Bridge
Installing home automation equipment in an existing space can be a challenge – you need power as well as the ability to send data, without having to tear apart walls. The VirageBridge is the solution to connect reliable, long-lasting, battery-powered 433 MHz sensors and other devices to your home automation hub.
As with our other WiFi devices, the VirageBridge can be OTA flashed with your favorite ESP8266-compatible firmware.
Sensors
Knowing what’s happening in your space is essential to enabling automation, and sensing when people come and go, or when a space is occupied the most basic element of this. You also want to be able to install these sensors in key locations without having to do a major construction project to get them there.
The Virage Motion Sensor and Virage Door Contact are the answer. Coupled with the VirageBridge and using 433 MHz RF communications, these fully wireless sensors can be deployed anywhere in your space to sense when a door or window is open (or closed!), or when someone is moving through a space. These devices can work for more than a year on a single set of batteries (AA or AAA), and signal you when they are running low.
In Development
We chose the name Virage Laboratories for a reason. Our goal is to keep innovating in the Home Automation space in controls, sensors and for the user interface. We’d love to hear from our users what they would find useful so that we can look at including your great ideas into our development pipeline.
Some things we are working on right now include:
Wall Screen
Most Home Automation systems can be controlled from a smart phone, laptop or tablet with ease, but sometimes you don’t have one of those handy. Sometimes you’re walking out the door and want to see that all the lights are off, the windows closed, and what the weather will be today. Our 7 inch touch wall screen will connect wirelessly to your hub, and be able to display a variety of custom layouts, letting you see the state of your space in a glance, turn things on and off, and see other information relevant to your world. Stay tuned as we continue to refine this and bring it to market.
Sensors
Sensors are the eyes and ears of your home automation system and provide the information needed to truly realize the power of automation. Occupancy (e.g. doors and windows, and motion) is the first step, but next steps include temperature, humidity, light and more. We’re actively working on outdoor climate sensors, sensors for wine rooms, cigar humidors, art collections and more.
The information obtained from these sensors can be used simply to monitor conditions, or in conjunction with controls (like switches) to let your space automatically adapt to changing conditions.
Controls
The ability to turn things on and off, open and close them, or otherwise make physical things happen is an essential element of home automation. Beyond simply remotely controlling things, our vision is to have your space be able to control itself.
Devices under development include:
- garage door control (designed to work with a standard garage door opener)
- window blinds
- heating and air conditioning controls
- ‘magic buttons’ that can be programmed to wirelessly control anything connected to your home automation system