IKEA Announces DIRIGERA Smart Home Control Center with Matter Support and New IKEA Home App
The furniture manufacturer has announced a new control center for smart homes, which together with the new application will be able to control everything – from light bulbs to blinds from its catalog and other brands. Named DIRIGERA, the center supports the Matter smart home standard, formerly called Project CHIP.
The DIRIGERA (from the Swedish word “direct”) is 2.7 cm high and 11.2 cm in diameter, which is less than the previous TRADFRI model, which was the only hub for a smart home in the company. The new hub is equipped with an Ethernet port and a USB-C power connector. It also connects WiFi, Zigbee and Thread, serving as a bridge between different networks that can be used by connected objects in each house.
At the moment, DIRIGERA and the Home Smart program only support Matter and will be able to interact with all equipment created by IKEA, as well as with Matter-certified products of other brands.
The smart home hub and program will be released in October this year, according to the company’s website. And in the first half of next year will also introduce a remote access feature, facilitating access to devices. IKEA intends to create its own cloud network to offer its users a remote connection to the home.
IKEA executives told The Verge that the entire furniture and decor catalog will become “smarter”. In the coming years, the brand’s stores will feature speakers or wireless chargers built into lamps, shelves and desks.
The company entered the smart home market in 2014, and this technology gained momentum until 2019, when the Home Start section became one of the most important areas for the brand. The new center was created from scratch, taking into account the experience gained over the years, and is designed to bring together all the smart IKEA catalog, such as lighting, sound, blinds or air purifiers.
