Indigo Domotics

This $99 device looks pretty amazing and has strong reviews on both Amazon and Reddit. I'm extra excited about it because three of my four dumb fans are all in the same area and could all be controlled by one Bond. That's much much cheaper than any other way of doing it!

MAKE YOUR CEILING FAN SMART IN SECONDS - BOND turns any remote controlled ceiling fan to a smart fan
CONTROL UP TO 6 CEILING FANS - a single BOND can control up to 6 ceiling fans from one central location
iOS and Android APP FOR QUICK SETUP
NO INSTALLATION NEEDED - download the app | point your remote at the BOND and you are done
INTEGRATION WITH ALEXA AND GOOGLE HOME

They're promising HomeKit compatibility on this, and that might be enough for me to integrate it, but I'm tempted to offer a bounty/underwrite purchase of the device to someone willing and able to create an Indigo plugin for it.

They're also planning major category additions, including AV systems and garage doors.

Found their well hidden website at https://bondhome.io/ No mention of a developer API. :/

Thought I'd update that the company claims HomeKit compatibility is coming soon, that an open API will be released, and also that the price has been reduced to $79.

Still very interested in Indigo integration without HomeKit workarounds.

I just installed The Bond in our new vacation home to control five separate fans. I can control all functions including different speeds and the lights from the iOS app . I too would really like if someone would make a plugin for this device.

Hey what brands of fan?

It would be an easy plugin to write when they have an API available. Now if they expand this to learn IR (which is what I assume this is doing) from anything then that would be pretty cool

Colorado4Wheeler wrote:

It would be an easy plugin to write when they have an API available.

<yoda>so sure of that you are?</yoda>

LMAO, no, but it doesn’t look like it would be too difficult.

They promise that API, but they also promised HomeKit compatibility some time in March.

Different Computers wrote:

Hey what brands of fan?

Short answer Minka-Aire. When I was first looking at their product, I visited their blog and it mentioned the had partnered with the Minka Group. Seeing as these were the brand installed in our home I decided to give the Bond a try. Minks's wall controls and hand remotes work well except on the back porch where we have three fans all on the same frequency (dip switches). Using the hand remote, the fans and lights never seem to work in sync real well (one or two on and one off), very frustrating. After the Bond was installed that problem went away, as long as I use my iOS devices as remotes.
I also chatted with customer support about Home Kit support on 2/20/18 and this was the reply: Mau: We will be adding integrations and new devices throughout 2018 and beyond. Homekit is targeted for introduction in the later part of 2018 (rough estimate - 3rd quarter).

agmeinhold wrote:

Homekit is targeted for introduction in the later part of 2018 (rough estimate - 3rd quarter).

If they get an API out there and someone writes a plugin for Indigo then it can be supported before that.

Yeah, I'm sure all the coders go into meetings saying "if we clean up and publish our API, customers will be thrilled!" and then the marketing guy says "how do we even sell that? It's more important to put a HomeKit sticker on the box."

Different Computers wrote:

Yeah, I'm sure all the coders go into meetings saying "if we clean up and publish our API, customers will be thrilled!" and then the marketing guy says "how do we even sell that? It's more important to put a HomeKit sticker on the box."

+1. You don't market APIs directly to consumers, but rather you market the partnership/integrations that result from their use. This means that you not only have to build the API, but you also have to build relationships with platform vendors, build support resources for those vendors (potentially including dedicated developer support). That's significantly harder/slower to be able to use when marketing said products to end users. Much easier (from a marketing standpoint) to point to the HomeKit badging.

From an engineering standpoint it may be the other way around in terms of effort if the company has a reasonably balanced software/hardware group, but marketing types often don't care about those details. That's one of the eternal tensions between Marketing/Sales and Engineering - everyone has budget constraints, so moving as much of the "problem" to other departments is often the tactic.

These are on sale today only for $19 off. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bond-Bond-S ... /302904473

In case you're heading there anyway. Nearest one is 60 miles away from me :/

FWIW, I'm kludging it with Alexa. I have an Alexa in the same room as the indigo server. If the outside temp >90, and the alarm isn't set, then Indigo will speak, "Alexa, turn on the fan"

Hey, it works...

I am in the same dilemma and considering buying BOND to control my DC fan. How about using the IFTTT plugin for Indigo to send commands to BOND? BOND seems to be compatible with IFTTT. Has anyone tried this path? Thanks!