Suggest a Device

[JDRoberts]

@Tvot84

I live with a quadrepelegic and I’m getting started in outfitting our house to make things easier for him. Independance for him is a big priority. With my research i have figured out how to do most eveything we need using alexa, smartthings and harmony. One thing i havent seen is an automatic door opener/closer. Although, i have figured a way to “hack” one to be able to integrate it woth ST it woukd be nice to have one that contacts ST directly through zigbee or zwave.

There aren’t any that I know of that communicate directly with SmartThingsout of the box. (I am a quad myself, so I’m pretty familiar with most of the issues.)

There are a couple of different options, although it does depend on whether you live in the US or the UK.

You could look at the quick browse list in the community – created wiki in the project report section and there is a list for accessibility projects which might have some reports you’d find interesting:

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=How_to_Quick_Browse_the_Community-Created_SmartApps_Forum_Section#Quick_Browse_Links_for_Project_Reports.2FQuestions

If you do you want to try to integrate something directly, autoslide is a pretty popular option that is available in both the US and the UK. You will need to add sensors and relays, but it can be done. See the following thread for some discussion:

https://community.smartthings.com/t/home-automation-for-wheelchair-users-uk/68538/

Another option which I use in my own home, although not specifically for a door mechanism, is the Naran Push Microbot. This is a tiny robot finger that you attach to any existing button mechanism and then you can have it push the button. It has its own IFTTT channel so it integrates quite nicely with both SmartThings and voice control units like Amazon echo or Google home. I use this for example on a blender where the button is too difficult for me to press. So it would be easy to add this to anything which has a pushbutton remote, including, for example, the Skylink door openers which are a very popular and inexpensive option.

Skylink DM-150 Swing Door Opener with Electric Strike - Amazon.com

You can put the microbot on a holder that you slide the regular remote into so that way you can still use the remote without the microbot if you want. So it leaves the original door opener completely unchanged, it just let you add an automated button push when you like.

It’s a bit expensive ($49 for the microbot and another $89 for their bridge, which is what you need for the integrations (one Bridge for 40 Microbots), but it does solve a lot of problems which are difficult to solve otherwise, and it doesn’t require any wiring.

Naran Prota adds iBeacon microlocation feature, and secure (fingerprint) activation

OK, this is pretty cool. The Naran “push” microbot is a small actuator (a robot finger) whichs let you automate pushing a button, so it’s excellent for retrofitting nonnetworked devices. For example, I have a small blender which has a start button that is very difficult for me to push (I am quadriparetic), and I have a push microbot on it so I can tell Alexa to start the blender. Other community members are using them on air-conditioners and pellet stoves and old fashioned door buzzers. Integration with SmartThings requires the Naran prota bridge device and is through IFTTT. It’s a fairly expensive solution ($89 for the bridge and $49 for each microbot) but it does let you do some things that are otherwise quite difficult to solve. https://prota.info/microbot/push/ [ima…

So those are two different approaches, either of which can work. You can start your own topic under projects if you would like to get more detailed individualized discussion of what you are trying to accomplish.

https://community.smartthings.com/c/projects-stories

And of course feel free to join in on any of the existing threads that are of interest to you.