iOn Capacitance Switches – Waving to Turn on the Lights

So we came across this really cool idea. What if you replaced your light switches with super-sensitive capacitance sensors that let you wave your hand to turn on the lights? And what if those new switches simply installed into your existing wall switch locations? And what if it was FREE? iOn capacitance switches promise all that…well, all except the “free” part. But that would be pretty cool.

iOn (who have a very cool logo by the way) used the same technology that goes into your smart phone and essentially just reinvented the light switch….and dimmer…and fan switch. About the only difficulty is the fact that you need at least some proximity to allow yourself to activate one switch without affecting others. As it stands now, multi-gang switches are out.

Introducing iOn Capacitance Switches

Check out their video:

Possibly one of the coolest things this paves the way for is the art of hiding switches altogether. While current code won’t let you do that, there is likely a way to foresee a future where these types of controls can be behind your drywall—or at least designed to look that way. As part of a whole-home control system, it won’t be long before iOn also uses their capacitance switch technology for volume control as well…I mean, why stop at lighting?

Oh, by the way, iOn capacitance switches are Kickstarter project, so you may want to place your order now to get the biggest bang for your buck. They have 25 days to go and have already raised nearly 25% of their $100k goal.