Kevin and Livy - Two Alone at Home

Berlin/Zurich - 22 March 2021.

Burglars look for easy prey in empty flats and offices. They shy away from direct confrontation with the residents. The Corona crisis has confirmed this. Because many people are at home more than usual because of the pandemic, thefts there have dropped significantly, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office. There are also likely to have been fewer flat fires during the lockdown period, if only because it simply happens less often that someone accidentally leaves the iron or cooker on and leaves the house. Presence protects.

The two start-ups Mitipi from Switzerland and HUM Systems from Germany are now taking advantage of this fact: As part of a sales partnership, they are now offering their two smart home devices "Kevin" and "Livy Protect" in a bundle at a preferential price.

Kevin simulates presence

The Bluetooth speaker with LED lights "Kevin" by Mitipi has it all: it simulates presence with amazingly realistic light effects and sounds when you are not there. It visually and acoustically imitates various everyday activities such as watching TV, playing the piano or vacuuming. The database of activities contains around 100 hours of content. Kevin can be programmed and personalised via smartphone or completely offline directly on the device. A preset can be selected, or an individual personality profile can be compiled, which takes into account one's own living situation, for example, living alone or with family, the presence of pets, etc., whereupon Kevin generates a particularly authentic light and sound backdrop.

Livy reports incidents

Livy Protect by HUM Systems, on the other hand, is a smart multi-sensor that combines all important aspects of a safe and healthy home in an all-in-one solution. The latest model, Livy Protect G3, includes smoke detectors, motion alarms and the measurement of air quality (VOC), temperature and humidity, as well as modern sensors for carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and air pressure. The recorded data can be checked at any time and from anywhere via app. If something is wrong, the device emits warning signals, not only at home, but also via SMS to anyone who has been given access authorisation with their smartphone. In addition to oneself, these can be other residents, relatives, neighbours and friends, for example.

"Kevin and Livy complement each other perfectly to optimise security and comfort at home. While Kevin deters burglars, Livy Protect is on the spot to report motion or fire hazards," says computer scientist Ali Reza Humanfar, founder and CEO of HUM Systems.

"The bundle offers our customers sensible all-round protection," adds Dr Patrick Cotting, CEO of Mitipi AG. Thanks to the community function, i.e. the automatic warning of flatmates, neighbours, etc., and the possibility of wirelessly networking several devices with each other, the Kevin and Livy duo can also be used to protect entire residential complexes, for example student residences. "That's why we are currently planning an all-round protection programme for students in halls of residence at 7,000 universities worldwide," says Cotting.

The individual price of "Kevin" is 273.30 euros, that of Livy Protect 180.00 euros. In the bundle, however, both devices together cost only 339.00 euros, i.e. 25 % less.