Brinks Home Security, a subsidiary of Hampton Products International, is showing off four new devices in its ARRAY home automation range at CES 2018. The company announced a single smart lock for the ARRAY lineup at last year’s CES, and this year sees a new smart lock in addition to three smart lighting fixtures equipped with cameras. The smart deadbolt on offer, called the Chek, boasts a major new feature over its predecessor in the form of its ability to tell whether the lock is currently engaged. The three new smart light fixtures have many of the same features commonly found in IoT gear of their class, but the cameras have some new features that make them as easy to use and fit for home security as many dedicated security cameras.
The three new smart lights on offer come in three styles; two classical coach-style lights, and a dual-face security floodlight with a clean, modern design. All three of them are equipped with cameras, and cloud-connected via Wi-Fi. The cameras have virtually no lag thanks to firmware enhancements. As soon as something moves in the cameras’ field of vision, their onboard AI goes to work identifying the subject. Brinks did not specifically mention any features like asking the light to keep a lookout for a lost pet or having it tell you who’s at the door, but those features are obviously quite possible, given the equipment and software; if they’re not present at launch, they may well be added at a later date. When a person is detected, the user will receive an alert on their smartphone with a link to a live video feed, taken with high-end custom lenses and enhanced for clarity on the software side.
The new Chek smart lock is a deadbolt-style smart lock that can install on any standard door. The lock can be controlled remotely via the companion app or opened up directly, just like the previous generation. Features like sending an e-key to friends, an activity log showing who comes and goes and when, and getting a notification to unlock the door when you get home are also still on board. The biggest differentiator from the previous generation is a smart latch system that can tell you whether the door the lock is attached to is open or closed, along with whether the door is locked. As a bonus, you can even use Amazon Alexa to ask whether the door is locked. The Chek lock and the new ARRAY smart lights are all expected to be available sometime this year, with the Chek lock already up for preorder at a price point of $249.
