Touchswitch

Agency
Niko R&D
Client
Niko
Dimensions
8,3 x 8,3 x 1,1
Material
glas, polycarbonaat, staal, elektronica
Technique
spuitgieten, PCB bestukking
Execution
Industrial
A recurring problem with interactions with an electrical installation is that it’s often not clear to the user which button to use.

Nowadays a house has many light spots and other functionalities. It depends on the size and amount of buttons of the installation but this can sometimes be confusing for the user. A second problem is that there is a large amount of buttons on the wall. Clients prefer a compact switch on the wall.

With the innovative digital switch, touchswitch, Niko solves all these problems. Moreover, several new use cases are possible. The industrial design of the touchswitch was kept simple. The minimalist design allows to focus on the display in the system. There are also several sensors in the system. The proximity sensor for example ensures that the display is activated before the user touches the display. This is not the case with most home automation touchscreens or apps.

The navigation pattern was kept consistent throughout all functions. It’s immediately clear which button to choose because of the use of colors, icons and names to indicate the various functions. Personalization is an important feature of the touchswitch. The user can easily personalize a touchswitch with the Niko Home App. With this application, the user decides which functions are shown on the touchswitch and decides the default function. Furthermore, the personalization app allows to choose an alternative lay-out. Functionality and layout are determined by software, so this can be adapted at any time by the user. Moreover, new themes or control systems can be added because of the software update without replacing the device. Initially, a touchswitch fulfils the function of light switches, but the possibilities are endless.

Replacing physical buttons for a digital likeness has several advantages. Niko needs less product references. With traditional switches, you need a product reference for each function, but with the touchswitch, all these product references are digitized and one is enough. This is also easier for the installer, because the order process becomes more simple. The installer can also anticipate changed expectations of the client and after the installation they can decide together which functions to use.