Belkin announced several new home automation accessories in its WeMo line at CES in Las Vegas. Most notable is a water sensor that, according to Belkin, can accurately map water use in the house.
The so-called WeMo Water with echo technology sensor can be placed on water pipes and is able to detect changes in water pressure. According to Belkin, the sensor can accurately map the water consumption in a household per point of use, such as the shower in the bathroom or a washing machine. However, the sensor is not able to shut off the water supply when it detects a leak, but it can give an alarm via the WeMo app.
In the WeMo line, Belkin also comes with new sensors that can be placed on doors and windows. The sensors emit a signal when the magnetic field between the two parts is broken, for example when opening a door. Also new is the WeMo Keychain Sensor, a compact sensor that can be used, for example, to check whether a person has left the house or not. Other new accessories in the WeMo line include a home security alarm sensor and an infrared motion sensor with a backup battery.
To make the various home automation accessories more energy efficient, Belkin has switched to the more efficient Zigbee protocol. Before that, it released a WiFi-to-zigbee bridge. The bridge can be connected to a router.