It was TeN KYU that I came across this story this time. It is a startup making IoT bulb. We can receive information such as weather and visitors from the bulb. Why is it a light bulb? Is it the weather? I came from the chance to start making up to the prospect of TeNKYU.

Interview: August 09, 2017

TeNKYU Co., Ltd. Representative Director Hidenori Kan

Joined an electronic components manufacturer and experienced manufacturing through designing and manufacturing dielectric filters. In addition, she is located in Taipei as a technical sales and is involved in the launch of numerous projects. After that, founded TeN KYU Co., Ltd. Working with the goal of setting bulb TeNKYU to notify the entrance all over the world.

Transmit information by color from home to fine restaurants

TeNKYU is a light bulb capable of two-way communication, installing an application on a bulb to change its function. ① Acquire input data from on-line data or (2) human sensor attached to the light bulb and output to the color of the bulb or smartphone. In other words, it is usually an ordinary bulb, but you can change the color under certain conditions.

① Online information

For example weather forecast. "You can make the color of the light bulb blue only when the rain probability is 50% or more", "You can make it red if there are many pollen".

By using the information on the online, everything that can acquire data can be input data. Of course, it is also possible to condition on the temperature, the height of the waves, the day of garbage disposal etc.

② Human sensor

Light bulbs with human sensors are not uncommon. It is kind of like lighting when a person approaches in a toilet or entrance. This is where the communication function is attached, TeNKYU is different from conventional bulb with sensor.

Easy-to-use applications would be watching / crime prevention applications. For example, TeNKYU will be installed in the elderly's house living alone. It may be an emergency situation if there is no reaction although it is not a trip. Since it is apparently just a light bulb, the sense of being watched is reduced.

There is also possibility to be used for business. For example, at the entrance of a luxury hotel or restaurant, it sounds bad if it rings like a convenience store like a pinpong. Therefore, for example, it is conceivable to use such as notifying the smartphone or wearable device when there is a visitor.

Collaboration with other services and to enable individual development of functions

Installation of TeNKYU is very easy. Get TeNKYU, just remove the existing bulb and replace it. Next, connect TeNKYU and WiFi network with a smartphone. Finally if we choose the weather mode it is over. Once you set it, even smartphones become unnecessary.

The sale of TeNKYU is about to come. It seems that it will also provide only the default function at first, but of course there is no flexibility.

In the future, we will extend TeNKYU's functions in cooperation with various other services. Also, of course, I also envision that anyone can easily customize it, or make other users use the functions developed by someone else. (Mr. Kan)

Ideas come out from customers

When he is talking to Mr. Kan, various ideas come out, such as "use in environments where sound can not be heard by noise and want to convey information in colors of light for people with hearing impairment". Certainly TeNKYU can think of various ways to use it, but how do you discover ideas?

When you take a booth at the event and communicate with visitors, various ideas come out from the front. Notice of visitor notice etc of restaurant mentioned earlier was completely unexpected use case. Looking at the reaction of visitors, TeNKYU's high extensibility and high demand turned into confidence.

Troublesome to return to the room to take an umbrella!

Why did Mr. Kan try to make TeNKYU in the first place?

The apartment where I live is structurally unable to understand the weather until I go outside. It is raining when I get off the elevator and go to the entrance, it is troublesome to get back to pick up the umbrella in the room, and when I'm in a hurry there is no time to get back to get my umbrella. It was the chance I wanted to solve this trouble.

If this condition alone, there seem to be other solutions as well. Is not it ok to notify the weather by voice, for example?

First of all, if you do not listen to the end, you do not know the information. It takes time. In that respect, if the color of light is transmitted, information is transmitted instantaneously. Also, I did not want to increase things to the narrow entrance to know the weather, and there was no outlet at the entrance. It was a light bulb that fitted when we thought that we could supply power and replace it with one that already exists.

To sell through cloud funding and field trials

The development of TeNKYU has gone astray, and he is currently preparing for cloud funding. Starting with this, he wants to accelerate sales.

Also, TeNKYU is compatible with all industries such as real estate and nursing care as well as use of it alone. It seems that various voices are already being heard, and I was going to explore demand for B through field trials.

Finally, I got a message to those who would like to participate in TeNKYU.

To develop TeNKYU, an engineer that can handle microcomputers is essential. Also, we are looking for sales people to expand sales now. If you are interested in TeNKYU, let 's have fun together.

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