CE Pro July 2022 - 19

URC Opens Door to
Interactive Virtual
Inspiration Home
URC SAYS " the best method to understand smart home tech
is through experience " - so they've built an ultra-realistic
VR, 360° interactive environment to experience life in today's
smart home.
Given the rise in virtual meetings and experiences, URC
crafted a strategy to create an immersive journey that enables
visitors to interact within an ultrarealistic virtual home, learn
about and simulate a variety of control options, and explore the
features of a URC Total Control system.
URC's Virtual Inspiration Home offers a guided tour complete
with virtual host or the ability to create a self-guided tour by
selecting the preferred room or scene.
The virtual home includes the opportunity to experience a
variety of scenes:
Welcome Home - arriving home with pre-programmed
activations
Home Office - integration of work and home schedules
with advanced integrations
Movie Time - control and automation of streaming AV and
music sources with high-definition distribution
Dinner Party - setting stage for intimate to large events
Outdoor Entertainment - epic entertainment near the
virtual pool, spa, or outdoor kitchen
Good Night - featuring a relaxing scene and ability to
monitor other rooms throughout the home
According to URC, this approach provided a significantly
device has so many more features
beyond just occupancy
or vacancy sensing, " Greg
Rhoades, director of marketing,
Leviton, tells CE Pro.
" And it's really easy for our
installers to customize and
calibrate right via the app. So
if they want to adjust the sensitivity,
it's super easy; if they
want to adjust it between
occupancy and vacancy, even
if there's no Wi-Fi at the time
they can do that. We built-in
some extra intelligence here
and I think we realized it's the
first hub-less HomeKit-encepro.com
abled
motion sensing dimmer
or switch - so a lot of people
are going to use it not only
within our system, but in
the HomeKit ecosystem as a
trigger for other devices. "
Rhoades mentions that
integrators can associate the
product with devices such as
lamps, sconces, ceiling fans,
smart outlets, etc., to respond
to motion and have the Wi-Fi
Motion Sensing Dimmer tie
together the myriad activities
in a basement, closet, garage,
kitchen and elsewhere.
" I think that's where the
URC's Virtual Inspiration Home offers a guided tour with a
virtual host or a self-guided tour by picking a room or scene.
greater wealth of options to simulate URC system capabilities
like changing light settings, adjusting shades and drapes, accessing
high-definition audio, streaming video content, adjusting
climate control, illustrating different scenes, and more.
Instead of requiring visitors to travel to a physical location,
URC now brings this immersive experience to consumers, allowing
global visitors to experience the possibilities of today's smart
home - viewable on any device.
" Launching URC's Virtual Inspiration Home continues the
evolution of the URC brand to a more active and engaging position.
From their devices and no matter their location, consumers
can experience the benefits of URC's advanced technology, "
says Ron Pence, who leads URC's Marketing team. " Consider
the possibilities of launching new products and hosting virtual
events from a consumer's preferred device. "
Lowell Kaps, owner, Lowell/Edwards Home Integration, Inc.,
comments, " From geofencing and notifications as you approach
the virtual home to the party on the patio, URC created a
winning digital tool to help our clients dream big. It's control and
automation on a new level. "
CE pros are going to connect
the dots and make this more
customized than it's ever
been before, " he says.
The built-in sensor has up
to 180-degree field of view
and provides 900 square feet
of motion coverage, supporting
both occupancy and
vacancy sensing modes. The
device also supports 3-way/
multilocation with hardwired
and wire-free companions.
Lastly, the latest-generation
Decora Smart Tamper
Resistant Outlet adds support
for Apple Siri and Leviton's
Wire-Free Anywhere Companion
Switch that the first
generation lacked, augmenting
its smart functionalities
for wireless control in new
construction and retrofit
scenarios. The outlet works
with Alexa, Google, HomeKit/
Siri, IFTTT, SmartThings and
Schlage to control an array of
connected devices.
It features a reduced
depth of 1.3 inches to make
installation easier, and
provides built-in shutters
to prevent insertion of
unintended objects.
July 2022 CE Pro | 19
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CE Pro July 2022

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