Two final year students of Robotics and Automation Engineering of PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, have designed and developed a Home Automation Module.

Called ‘Smitch,’ it is the supposedly the most affordable home automation solution in the market, with prices ranging from Rs.2,999 to Rs.13,499. Smitch will be launched on April 21 at a consumer fair in Coimbatore.

Talking to reporters, H.R. Sanathkumar, Chief Executive Officer of Karsan Technologies Pvt. Ltd., an Internet of Things (IOT) based company, said that the compact Smitch module can be placed comfortably behind any existing switchboard and does not require rewiring or modifications in the current wiring system.

Smitch, with its interactive mobile app and on-board timers, allows users to control and schedule any home appliance. It also helps in optimizing electricity consumption by up to 40 percent by analyzing and prompting change in usage patterns.

Sanathkumar also said that the home automation market in India is at its nascent stage. “Average cost of automation for a home would be anywhere from Rs.3 lakhs to Rs.50 lakhs,” he said.

Karsan Technologies’ Chief Technical Officer Pragadheesh Raj said that the company will launch the products in eight cities, including Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chennai, with initial capacity of 6,000 pieces.