Sunflower Labs had high-tech garden lights and monitoring drones on display at CES, looking to revamp home security. Their outdoor security system has three main components: Sunflowers (smart garden lights), the Bee (drone), and the Hive (charging station).
(Image Source: Sunflower Labs)
Once the Sunflower garden lights detect any unusual activity, they’ll shed some light on situation, and “send a signal to the Hive using a proprietary high-range, low-power radio frequency,” according to CNET. The Hive, which houses the system’s computer, will notify the homeowners via a smartphone app. In order for the Bee to set off toward the disturbance, users must first press a button in the app.
To minimize false alarms, the Sunflowers can identify people, animals, cars, and the speed and direction of approaching objects. This is made possible thanks to motion and vibration sensors.
The Bee is an autonomous, camera-equipped drone that patrols the entirety of your property, streaming and saving a live video feed. If there’s a certain spot that needs attention, users can direct Bee to investigate. It uses the Sunflowers’ sensors as its navigational guide, since they calculate the safest, fastest flight path.
Bee’s ultrasonic sensors enable it to detect obstacles up to 6 m away, “When an obstacle is detected, the Bee automatically updates its flight path to avoid it,” according to Sunflower Labs.
When the drone is in need of a charge, it’ll return to its weatherproof charging station.
The system’s price is still unconfirmed, however, it will first roll out as an expensive, high-end security setup until Sunflower Labs can start making it at scale, according to cnet. The company aims to start selling their system later this year, or early 2020.
