The Austrian manufacturer Hella from East Tyrol is considered a specialist in the roller shutter and sun protection sector. This also includes a Smart Home system of its own to be able to conveniently operate the sun protection or to leave it if the user does not want to worry about it. The Onyx.Home control system was therefore specially developed for the operation of sun shading products. Awnings, or for instance products such as external Venetian blinds, ZIP systems or roller shutters, have been nominated for the Innovation Award, and are conveniently controlled via smartphone, tablet or automation. All shading elements are graphically displayed in the free Onyx app.
The position of the sun protection is already visible during control. All products can be visually identified by colours in the app. In addition, it is possible to assign names to each individual hanging for easier identification and operation. The sun protection products can of course also be controlled via normal buttons. This means that children or guests who do not have access to the Onyx.Home system can also operate the sun protection.
New products are easy to integrate. The QR code is the link between the devices. The app simply scans the code of a control unit to add it to the system. Assign names and a colour, and you have full control.
Light and shade can also be selected at home through gestures. The centrebox serves as an interface between the smartphone and the individual control units, and communicates via a wireless radio link. It passes on radio commands bidirectionally, thus the exact current position of the sun protection is displayed via the live feedback in the app. Voice control via Amazon Alexa is available for commands such as “Extend the awning” or “Set the external Venetian blind to 70%”. As long as the device is nearby, you control the shading elements with your voice and thus hands-free. These are just a few of the features that Onyx can map. At the Smart Home Forum, chief IT developer Manuel Stanglechner will explain the essential points for the manufacturers of Smart Home systems and their specialist partners as distributors of these components to the actual users, and also refer to the topic of data security in Smart Home systems.