WigWag lets anyone build dynamic, intelligent environments with zero programming needed.
An intelligent environment is one where devices and physical things around you react and adapt to environmental and virtual events. Changes might be:
Platforms exist today that allow the creation of these environments. However, the setup time and cost is extensive, hence customization is very difficult.
WigWag has created a simple, user-friendly, hybrid-cloud platform and suite of devices that allow anyone — from the average homeowner to IT professionals — to create automated systems. With WigWag, you can make any environment automatic by establishing simple When this, Then that rules.
Our innovative technology has captured the attention of thousands of people worldwide, raising over $450,000 in pre-orders. Now, we’re working to grow our company to meet fast growing demand and fulfill orders from distributors such as Amazon and Newegg.
Building rules is for end-users. In order for the platform to grow we must also make it very easy for new devices to be supported.
The WigWag platform is open. It allows anyone to add support for new devices and services. WigWag’s groundbreaking smartphone app and cloud service is the first to enable users such simple, accessible and affordable creation and management of automated environments, ushering in a new era in the Internet of Things.
The WigWag platform’s extensibility allows developers and advanced users to build new interfaces and support new devices using web standards already familiar to millions of developers.
Simply put, we let developers use the same technologies and methods they use to program web applications (HTML5, CSS and Javascript) to program the Internet of Things.
That means we open up the IoT to a massively larger existing base of seasoned developers. It takes smart developers to build killer apps.
Why is that important? Because the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing very rapidly. The amount of devices on the IoT will grow exponentially over the next decade and a platform which can scale and support these many new devices will have significant value to both end-users and strategic partners.
What kinds of devices? Anything that WigWag can talk to.
Our platform design allows us to rapidly support any device with an API. The WigWag Relay is protocol extensible, meaning it can support protocols beyond just IP/WiFi. We already have working relationships and support in development for protocols such as Insteon, ZigBee, Z-Wave and EnOcean devices.
In order to enable users to quickly build intelligent environments, we need sensors that are incredibly simple to deploy.
All WigWag devices can be deployed by a smartphone alone. Steps for deployment are:
Once any WigWag device is scanned the user can immediately build rules. This eliminates one of the largest hurdles in deploying wireless, connected devices in the Internet of Things – difficulty of deployment and installation. There are no passwords, “SSIDs” or confusing wireless configuration dialogs.
Every installation needs one WigWag Relay. The Relay is a zero-config device: you just plug it in to your home router. The Relay is what executes the Rules and how the WigWag Sensors talk to Internet services and other devices.
The WigWag Relay is extensible. It can talk to Internet connected devices and services, such as Philips Hue light bulbs or to your email provider. It can also talk to many other devices that don’t use “Internet Protocol”.
This means WigWag can work with thousands of existing devices with protocols and standards such as ZigBee, Z-Wave, Insteon and X-10.
The WigWag Sensor is a universal sensor device with 8 environmental senses, 6 control abilities and 2 expansion ports. It can measure light, detect motion, sound, temperature, humidity, movement and you can setup infrared (IR) tripwires between two blocks. It can control things such as: an electronic relay (open a garage door or turn on a sprinkler) and IR devices (change channels on a tv). It can also blink and play simple sounds for alerts.
The WigWag Tag is a small, key-fob size device which can track people, pets or things. The Tag has a single button which can be included in a rule for anything, and it has a super-low power accelerometer for detection of all types of movement.
Combined with the Sensor, the Tag provides location information in indoor environments.
Currently, consumers who seek to create an automated environment must either invest in a costly and complex custom system, or manage a smartphone jampacked with separate apps for the management of a home full of branded devices. The former is a solution that is neither affordable nor accessible for most, and requires costly maintenance and adjustment by the same company who installed the system. The latter, while it may contribute to a sense of satisfaction that you are one step closer to living life like the Jetsons’, fails to provide the level of convenience, automation and intelligence that current technology can easily deliver.
In the commercial space the problem is similar. Organizations can either hire an integrator / VAR to design, program and install an automation system, or they can build their own system in-house.
Today, building their own system means learning a proprietary programming language and development system, which is a time consuming and costly process. Even the largest and most well-funded organizations find this task daunting.
WigWag’s current business model is very simple. We provide a free cloud service that enables people to build customized environments very easily. We support all kinds of devices that have open API’s. Our revenue comes from selling WigWag devices that sense and control the physcial world from the cloud service.
You can see pricing information at store.wigwag.com.
With WigWag, anyone can enhance the platform by contributing software modules for other devices. Once someone has contributed to the platform, that module will be made available to anyone else for their use.
For more detailed information see the Business Plan tab.
WigWag, a true bootstrap startup comprised of a gang of engineers, programmers and designers in Austin, Texas, has already seen incredible traction. Below are a few of the most notable milestones reached.
Filed for two patents in January 2013
Created working prototypes for all products, currently used for ongoing R&D and testing
Successfully surpassed our $50,000 goal on Kickstarter, raising over $450,000 in pre-orders
Gained over 1,500 unique customers through Kickstarter pre-sales
Working to deliver the 1,500+ Relays and 3,000+ Sensor Blocks pre-sold
Received purchase orders from a variety of stocking distributors such as Amazon, Newegg, Smarthome
In discussion with a telecommunications company and a major manufacturer of electronic components, both interested in integrating the WigWag
platform into their offerings
Currently developing a second generation of devices to go into production fall of 2014
Several notable features in the press:
WigWag was started by two former Army Signal Corps officers who met while at West Point in the Computer Science program. The name ‘WigWag’ comes from the signaling system used by the US Army Signal Corps in the 19th century which usedflags.
Ed Hemphill, CEO, and Travis McCollum, COO, were both early employees at LifeSize Communications (later acquired by Logitech in 2009 for approximately $400MM). While working for this innovator in the HD video conferencing space, Hemphill and McCollum discovered the need for a modern platform for automated systems, as they saw countless companies and users frustrated by the existing systems. Linked-In: Ed Hemphill, Travis McCollum
Jean-Marc Trinon, WigWag’s primary investor and advisor, has over 25 years of experience designing and developing enterprise software packages for large distributed environments. Trinon holds several patents, and was a founder of IT Masters, a company that developed software products in the Distributed Systems Management domain. IT Masters grew to become an international group, ultimately acquired by BMC Software.