Philips introduces light switch that draws power from the touch of fingers

Philips comes with a light switch that does not require power, because it draws power from the touch of the fingers. The kinetic energy switch is part of a series of new products around the smartphone-controlled Hue lamps.

The Hue tap light switch works on kinetic energy and, according to Philips, users can use the switch for Hue lamps if the smartphone or tablet is temporarily unavailable. According to Philips, the switch consumes virtually no energy and therefore does not need to be connected to a power source. The Hue tap has some buttons for preset ‘scenes’ of the Hue lamp, a color or combination of colors for lamps. Connectivity happens like the entire Hue setup via the home automation standard Zigbee.

In addition, Philips presents 3D-printed lamps based on Hue, in order to make more designs possible. Philips also has a new Hue lamp that can only display white. The cheaper version can show white in different color temperatures and at different brightnesses. The new products will be released after the summer, except for the 3d-printed designer lamps; they can be pre-ordered starting next week. All products require the Hue Bridge, which allows the lights to communicate with the smartphone and tablet app.

Hue is a series of lamps and accessories from Philips that users can control via apps. This allows users to set their own colors and programs. The lamps can also flicker to the beat of music via external apps or display notifications by switching off and on for a while.