Japanese tech giant Panasonic has combined artificial intelligence (AI) and the IoT to create a connected living platform that it calls Miraie.
 
‘Mirai’ meaning ‘future’ and ‘ie’ meaning ‘home’ in Japanese, the platform aims to empower everyday lives of consumers with comfort, convenience and seamless connectivity across all Panasonic devices.
 
The innovation has been conceptualised and developed at Panasonic’s India Innovation Centre in Bangalore. The company has also unveiled its first range of connected products that will be available in the Indian market under Miraie, which includes connected air conditioners, smart door bells, plugs and switches. In the near future, the company plans to expand its connected range of products by adding refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, fans, geysers and so on giving consumers a full range of connected living options for a futuristic home.
 
“With the advent of 5G, IoT will be driving the next round of transformation in the digital world and is the future of smart, connected India,” said Manish Sharma, president and CEO of Panasonic India. “Consumers are now looking towards IoT and AI to enhance quality of life through connected ecosystems.”
 
Panasonic commissioned syndicated research to deep dive into the mindset of an Indian consumer on their views and experience of connected devices, their awareness of IoT enabled products, and their willingness to engage with such platforms. The research found that more than three-quarters of people were looking for comfort and convenience with specific requirements related to ease of use, safety, monitoring misuse and service reminders.
 
“Through the launch of our Miraie platform, we aim to address all of the above and extend connected living in a true sense and further our vision of a better life, a better world,” said Sharma.
 
The report shows that over half of consumers aspire to the idea of connected living with plans to purchase an IoT-enabled product within the next six months with comfort, convenience and safety being the top reasons. Catering to these evolving needs of the consumers, the updatable Miraie platform not only connects and allows access to all Panasonic’s devices at one place but also offers in-built intelligent diagnostics that detect issues in increasing performance and operational lifespan of products.
 
Miraie also recognises usage patterns and suggests optimal modes extending the best comfort for users. For example, the connected AC and fan has intelligent features such as the customised sleep mode. It allows users to pre-set temperatures profiles through the night for comfort.
 
It leverages Google’s Voice Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa technology to offer seamless and hands-free operations and control devices with voice commands. The Miraie app also offers e-warranty wherein all warranty services and annual maintenance contracts are stored digitally for all products, and consumers get notified if there is change in any status. And it helps consumers get spare parts for electronic devices replaced with an online request via the app.
 
“As a market leader in the electrical wiring devices, we foresee a world in which various electrical and electronic devices will be IoT and AI enabled,” said Dinesh Aggarwal, joint managing director of Panasonic Life. “We see these devices getting smarter and can largely be controlled via voice command, even by a child or a senior citizen. Keeping in line with our direction to offer products that deliver comfort, convenience and energy saving, we are proud to launch our latest IoT smart products.”
 
Under the name Vetaar, which means without a wire, this will help consumers automate their homes without expensive re-wiring. These smart sockets, switches and sensors can communicate with each other and Panasonic devices through the Miraie platform.
 
“I am delighted to share that the path-breaking Miraie platform has been developed at the Panasonic India Innovation Centre in Bangalore,” said Manish Misra, chief innovation officer at Panasonic India. “We have been working on this concept for over a year and we look forward to roll it out today. Miraie is an intuitive, engaging platform built on the basis of consumer insights on their evolving needs for convenience, comfort and connectivity.”
 
Panasonic will be promoting the Miraie launch through a campaign covering traditional, TV and digital mediums. To enhance the shop floor experience, product displays and demo zones will be set-up to drive awareness for the range. This will be backed up with service support provided by the Panasonic operations team.