Make Your Regular Appliances Smart with Automate Things’ IR Bridge

Automate Things, a company based in the UK has released a new cool gadget called IR Bridge which is a small cheap Wemos D1 mini-powered device that lets you can control infrared devices (like your TV or air conditioner) with your home automation system, specifically the ones that work with Tasmota or ESPhome.

This device has nine infrared LEDs onboard that can cover up to 10 meters (around 33 feet!). It even has an IR receiver that allows multiple IR Bridges to work together, just like a Wi-Fi mesh would do. Furthermore, you can integrate this device into your home automation system with the help of applications like Home Assistant. You can even hide it behind your TV or put it on your desk, and it will still work like magic.

The IR Bridge comprises two separate boards; the main microcontroller is a standard Wemos D1 Mini development board, which houses an ESP8266 SoC. The shield for the Wemos is made with nine infrared LEDs and a 38kHz infrared receiver. This device also supports ESP-MESH; to communicate with multiple IR bridges over Wi-Fi.

People who have tried out the IR Bridge have been impressed. It can capture and replay infrared commands without errors. So, with this device, you can turn your regular appliances into smart ones in just a few minutes. It’s small, well-built, and can be placed anywhere in the room.

The fully assembled IR Bridge is now available at Automate Thing’s Tindie store. Priced at $9.99, the IR Bridge includes the Wemos D1 Mini and is pre-installed with the Tasmota firmware.

Refer to the Tasmota Supported Devices Repository for additional information and a template.

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