Vesper microphones power smart home fire safety device, LifeDoor
Vesper recently announced that its ZeroPower Listening microphones were chosen to bring extended battery life and durability to the lifesaving fire safety devices from LifeDoor.
Founded and funded by firefighters, LifeDoor has pioneered an entirely new class of home safety product that protects people and property in the event of a fire. The brands will demonstrate the technology at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), taking place in Las Vegas this week.
Triggered by the sound of a smoke alarm, LifeDoor’s smart sensing technology automatically closes a home’s interior doors in the event of a fire to prevent it from spreading. The device also lights up the room and sounds a secondary alarm to alert occupants. Vesper’s microphones register the sound of the smoke detector, prompting the door closure. The door is then easily reopened if that’s the safest way to exit the home.
“Vesper’s ZeroPower Listening technology has enabled an entirely new class of smart home products that use audio event detection in battery powered devices,” said Vesper CEO Matt Crowley. “Embedding Vesper’s ZeroPower Listening microphones in an innovative device like LifeDoor’s literally saves lives. We are proud to support the founders of LifeDoor in this important mission.”
“80% of children sleep through a smoke alarm,” said LifeDoor Co-Founder and Firefighter, Joel Sellinger. “LifeDoor automatically closes bedroom doors when triggered by the sound of a smoke alarm, protecting the family. Unfortunately, house fires are increasing in frequency and spread 600% faster today as compared to 40 years ago.
“10 years of research by the Underwriters Laboratories Firefighters Safety Research Institute shows that fire is getting faster and that a closed door makes a 900-degree difference. We’re committed to utilizing the most advanced and robust technology available to develop disruptive products that decrease fire danger in entirely new ways.”
Vesper specialises in MEMS technology and has developed some of the market’s most reliable and intelligent sensors and MEMS microphones. Using the piezoelectric effect, Vesper microphones can use sound to activate devices from a deep sleep mode that uses virtually zero power.
Backed by Amazon Alexa Fund, Vesper’s microphones solve a critical need for stable, reliable and long-lasting microphone arrays that operate in environmentally harsh surroundings. All Vesper microphones are natively immune to environmental contaminants such as dust, water, moisture, oil and particles.
