Kohler, a leading brand in kitchen and bathroom fixtures since 144 years, is coming to CES 2018 with a new lineup of smart home products powered by a new software platform, KOHLER Konnect, that will bring voice-control into the bathroom and the kitchen.
KOHLER Konnect supports various voice services and allows users s to interact with the of the new smart Kohlerproducts via an iOs or Android app using voice-commands, hands-free motion control, and custom presets. With the new lineup, KOHLER customers will be able to control a faucet, an intelligent toilet, a shower, a bath and a mirror with voice commands. KOHLER Konnect is powered by Microsoft Azure cloud platform, which allows users to automate some tasks and monitor water usage of compatible products.
The flagship product of the new Kohler product lineup is the Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror, the “first announced bathroom mirror with Amazon Alexa built-in” according to the company.
In the past few years, I have seen a number of smart mirrors, mostly as prototypes or for B2B applications in retail stores. One can argue that HiMirror, showcased last year at CES 2017 -a device that I saw prior to the show in Las Vegas as a pre-production prototype – is the first bathroom mirror to integrate voice commands. As a matter of fact, its latest Plus+ version is already available with Amazon Alexa enabled, according to the HiMirror website.
However, from the product photos (I have not seen the real device yet, I will at CES), the Verdera looks like a “real” bathroom mirror, one that you will place on the wall above the bathroom sink, while HiMirror is a portable mirror that looks more like a tablet with a reflective surface, and that could be hanged or placed anywhere.
HiMirror is solely dedicated to skin care with skin analysis and product recommendations, while Verdera Voice Lighted Mirror offers access to Alexa’s tens of thousands skills and the ability to control other Kohler smart products using voice commands and the KOHLER Konnect app.
Users can also communicate with other connected products on the home Wi-Fi network, if they have an integration with Alexa.
Kohler will showcase other smart home products at CES 2018:
The Sensate kitchen faucet with KOHLER Konnect allows users to turn the water on and off or specify a desired volume of water to dispense with voice commands or touchless gesture interactions. Being able to specify an exact water volume while cooking with voice commands or touchless motion is the most brilliant iead i have seen in a while in a smart home device!
The DTV+ showering system with KOHLER Konnect can be controlled with voice interactions to adjust the water temperature, control the showerheads, the music, lighting steam and shower duration. The KOHLER Konnect application or the DTV+ can be used as well to control the same features. Owners of the previous DTV+ system can upgrade to the new smart version by simply adding a module.
The PerfectFill kit with KOHLER Konnect enables automated fill and drain so people can get a bath with a desired depth and temperature using voice commands and without monitoring the process. The KOHLER Konnect application delivers the same features when connected to the PerfectFill kit.
Other products include the Numi Intelligent Toilet , the PureWarmth toilet seat and the Touchless Response toilet, all work with the KOHLERohler Konnect software and offer various hands-free controls and features.
The Verdera Voice Lighted mirror will be available in March 2018, the final pricing has not been decided yet. However, the Kohler executives I talked with said that the smart mirror will come in three sizes, the largest one will be 40-inch and prices will probably range from $800 to $1200.
Other products will launch later this year. For more details, visit www.kohler.com/kohlerkonnect.
For the lucky ones attending CES, you will be able to see the new Kohler smart home devices at their booth #40521 located in the Sands, Hall A-D.
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