Compatible with ECHONET Lite devices, contributing to a carbon neutral society through energy management

Mitsubishi Estate, LIXIL and mui Lab have signed a basic agreement to form a partnership in the smart home business domain.

HOMETACT, a comprehensive smart home service developed by Mitsubishi Estate, will be joined by LIXIL's Life Assist 2 IoT home link (ECHONET Lite standard certified) as a new linked device. HOMETACT will sequentially deal with operation and control of products and ECHONET Lite devices supported by home devices. In addition, an energy management function (HEMS) linked with smart distribution boards, etc., will also be newly implemented.

By expanding the range of IoT devices and housing equipment that can be linked, we aim to further improve the user experience and provide a system that contributes to the carbon neutral society by promoting energy conservation and reducing the burden of utility costs on consumers through services as well as visualizing energy usage with the HOMETACT application.
Furthermore, in developing additional functions for HOMETACT and designing the UI of the application, we will incorporate the "Calm UI" design approach, which applies the "Calm Technology" principle advocated by mui Lab, to create an interface that enables consumers to intuitively understand and judge the amount of energy used in their homes and provide energy-saving tips and tricks to promote the habitual energy-saving behavior of consumers.

<Expected Effects of This Initiative>

1. In addition to the conventional cloud-to-cloud linkage (API linkage) with device manufacturers, HOMETACT will support ECHONET Lite communication linkage via LIXIL home devices (controllers) as a method of connecting devices. A hybrid IoT platform with increased linkage speed and flexibility has been built to accelerate the proposal of new lifestyles and improved convenience through expanded device linkage.
2. HOMETACT is scheduled to newly implement energy management (HEMS) functions by linking with smart distribution boards and other devices that have measurement and communication functions. Not only visualizing the energy consumption, but also promoting the energy conservation by leveraging the strengths of smart home solutions, contributing to the realization of a carbon neutral society.
3. In addition to the development of functions, UI design approach of "Calm UI," which applies the principle of "Calm Technology" advocated by mui Lab to HOMETACT, will be adopted to enhance the intuitiveness and ease of use as an application and promote the daily use of the service by consumers.

In addition to the above, Mitsubishi Estate, LIXIL, and mui Lab intend to promote joint research and collaboration mainly in the energy management area to accelerate the realization of a carbon neutral society and the provision of added value through smart home services.

The three companies plan to introduce this initiative at the Mitsubishi Estate booth at the 5th Smart House EXPO Tokyo to be held at the Tokyo Big Sight from December 5 (Mon.) to 7 (Wed.) of this year (in 2022).

<About the Linkage between HOMETACT and LIXIL Home Devices>

The home devices of LIXIL's IoT Home Link "Life Assist 2" have acquired ECHONET Lite Standard Certification and AIF Certification registration numbers, and can control ECHONET Lite-compatible products (air conditioners, light switches, etc.) of various device manufacturers connected to the HAN (Home Area Network).
This time, through the collaboration between HOMETACT and LIXIL's cloud (API collaboration), HOMETACT will become a hybrid type IoT platform that supports the connection of devices utilizing the ECHONET Lite standard in addition to the conventional cloud-to-cloud linkage (API linkage) with device manufacturers.
The establishment of this IoT platform, which increases the flexibility of collaboration with a wide range of device manufacturers, will enable companies introducing HOMETACT to improve product planning and consumer convenience, and support new lifestyle proposals.
The number of devices that can be linked to HOMETACT will be expanded in the future.

<Energy Management Function>

The promotion of energy conservation in the residential sector is attracting significant attention against the backdrop of the need to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the residential sector toward the realization of a carbon neutral society and the recent sharp rise in electricity prices. In addition, sustainable service design that contributes to energy conservation is positioned as an indispensable element in global smart home service trends, and proposals for smart home solutions that take advantage of linkage with a wide range of IoT devices are becoming very active. HOMETACT will continue to develop and promote measurement and service design.

In the future, HOMETACT will be linked to smart distribution boards and other devices with measurement and communication functions to implement energy management functions (HEMS) that go beyond home automation (already implemented in Life Assist 2). In addition, the service will evolve into a service that meets global trends and responds to social needs by incorporating various mechanisms, such as a user interface that allows users to intuitively determine the amount of energy used in the home and the dissemination of information that enables users to take immediate action to save energy.

In addition, the alliance of Mitsubishi Estate, LIXIL, and mui Lab, which mainly focus on the energy management domain, will work to further accelerate the realization of a carbon neutral society and the provision of added value through smart home services.

About HOMETACT

HOMETACT is a new smart home service developed in-house by Mitsubishi Estate based on its expertise as a general developer, and is easy to introduce into the Japanese living environment. Using a single smartphone app or smart speaker, users can control a wide range of IoT devices from multiple manufacturers, including air conditioners, TVs, lighting, and curtains.

＜Main features of the service＞

• Control home automation with a single application.
• An open platform with plans for further expansion of compatible devices in the future
• Intuitive and user-friendly application interface
• Control multiple IoT devices together by setting "scenes" such as "good morning" and "I'm off" and "my rules" triggered by time and location information to control the living space according to the settings.
• Management through the management portal function "TACTBASE"
• Consistent support services from installation to aftercare

HOMETACT is currently installed in four properties in the "The Park Habio" series of high-quality rental condominiums developed by Mitsubishi Jisho Residence Corporation, and is not only being further implemented in properties within the Mitsubishi Estate Group, but is also actively being offered to properties outside the Mitsubishi Estate Group.

About LIXIL

LIXIL develops and provides advanced water-related products such as toilets, baths, and kitchens, and building materials such as windows, doors, interiors, and exteriors that solve the challenges of daily life in order to realize the affluent and comfortable homes that everyone in the world desires. We have also accumulated knowledge and expertise in smart homes through our research in the "U2-Home" and "U2-Home II" IoT experimental homes based on the concept of "the future of home," and in 2017, we launched the "Life Home," an IoT home link.In July 2021, based on customer requests, we launched "Life Assist 2," a new version based on the concept of "making the smart home more accessible.
In October of this year, we opened the "Mirai Erabo," an IoT experimental house where visitors can experience convenient and comfortable living by linking various building materials, equipment, and home appliances around the house with the IoT Home Link "Life Assist 2," and we are strengthening cooperation with various equipment manufacturers to further promote the smart home and develop linkages with external equipment and to promote open innovation activities.