Is there more to WiFi than just Internet access?
Taj Manku thinks so. He’s the Co-Founder and CEO of Cognitive Systems, a company committed to finding new uses for WiFi – a technology that is nearly as ubiquitous as electricity.
The resulting technology – WiFi Motion – expands on WiFi’s untapped potential to include motion sensing functions. Manku believes the future of the home is a responsive environment that doesn’t require commands – lights that turn on and off without switches, adaptive heating, unobtrusive security and more. WiFi Motion works with smart home devices to automate your world.
At the moment, the company’s software is available to consumers through more than 50 internet service providers, mostly within North America and Europe. With the huge growth potential in smart homes, Manku thinks you’ll soon see this Waterloo innovation in every home.
We asked Manku about the growth of smart home technologies, how WiFi Motion works and, especially, how this made-in-Waterloo technology is truly something that couldn’t be invented anywhere else. Here’s what he said:
Q: When I think of Cognitive Systems the first interesting tidbit that comes to mind is that you were one of the first – maybe the first – company to come out of Quantum Valley Investments (QVI). Can you speak to the unique wrinkle QVI brings to the Waterloo tech ecosystem?
MANKU: Many of our founders, including myself, have a strong connection with the founders of BlackBerry, including Mike Lazaridis, who created QVI. From the beginning, QVI understood and believed in our vision to get more out of wireless signals. They’ve been patient and realistic with their expectations, allowing us to drive standardization and grow our portfolio of 300 patents and applications.
QVI is just a really unique asset to the community. How many places have an organization that exists to commercialize the incredible science that comes out of quantum physics? For companies like Cognitive Systems it’s been an integral part of inventing transformative technologies, rather than simply iterating.
To read the full article from the WaterlooEDC, click here.