Is Your Lightbulb Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

If Stack Lighting gets its way, you may never have to touch a light switch or dimmer again. The new Cupertino, California–based home technology company is introducing smart lightbulbs that learn a homeowner’s routines, and then automatically adjust to preferred light levels and color temperatures throughout the day.

“We’re the first to embed sensors inside lightbulbs, so we’re able to detect occupancy in rooms and the ambient light already in a room from sunlight,” says company cofounder and CEO Neil Joseph. “If you wake up at night, they can come on only a little bit, like a night-light. Or they can do circadian lighting—when you wake up in the morning, they’re more of a bluish white that helps you feel energized, but in the evening, they get warmer and dimmer as the night goes on, to get you ready for bed.”

Although the bulbs are programmed to learn your habits, they can also be independently controlled by a smartphone app. With a color-temperature range from an incandescent-like 2,700K to a daylight-like 6,500K, they’re also designed to respond to changes in natural light and maintain a preferred mood in a room regardless of the weather outside. Because they have motion sensors within, they offer security features, too—in addition to turning on lights while you’re away, they can alert you to unexpected movement inside the home.

The bulbs come with a wireless hub that allows users to adjust the light with a smartphone.

Stack’s first release will be a BR30 flood lamp suitable for recessed ceiling fixtures. The product is available for preorder now (a hub and two starter bulbs are $150; additional bulbs are $60) and will begin shipping preorders later this month. A standard A19-style bulb is scheduled to follow in early next year, with a range of other formats coming later in 2016. stacklighting.com