You might think that the humble light switch is so simple that it couldn’t really evolve much further — but you’d be wrong. Because this wireless switch, designed to work with the new breed of wireless bulbs, can harvest all the energy it needs to function from a button press.
Developed by NXP, the switch uses NFC to pair wirelessly with a bulb. Then, every time you flip the rocker switch, you provide just enough energy to the system for it to send a signal to the bulb, switching it on or off. That means the light switches in your home could, in theory, be totally mobile and unconnected. Imagine how crazily convenient that could be.
NXP is currently offering up samples of the device to manufacturers, which means it could make its way into homes some time this year. [Engadget]