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IEMI Labs

AirMate IR

Smart AC remote that turns cooling off only when the room is empty

Concept · not for sale
Target price from$49per room

Software: No subscription required

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AirMate IR concept: the idea and where each part goes

Drag to rotate · right-drag to move · scroll to zoom · click a part for its size and placeSwipe to rotate · pinch to zoom · two fingers to move · tap a part for its size

What it is

A small unit for each AC that controls it by infrared and senses if anyone is in the room; manage every AC in one app.

What it does

  • Turns the AC off in empty rooms
  • Keeps people cool while sitting still
  • Holds your target temperature
  • Runs schedules from app or Matter

Who it's for

Homes, rentals and small offices with split ACs or mini-splits.

The idea

One small unit under each split AC turns it off only when its room is really empty, all run from one app

The problem today

Air conditioning is in 88% of US homes (EIA 2020 household energy survey), and split units in bedrooms and offices keep running in empty rooms because nobody remembers to switch them off. Simple motion-based occupancy controls make the opposite mistake and switch the AC off on people who are sitting still, reading or asleep.

With AirMate IR

AirMate sits on the wall below or beside each AC and sends the AC's own remote codes. Its radar tells a still or sleeping person from an empty room, so cooling stays on while someone is there and goes off a set time after the last person leaves. Every room's AirMate shows in one app, with schedules and one eco temperature for all.

Front doorSplit ACBedBedroomSplit ACSofaLiving roomSplit ACDeskHome officeHallway and kitchen1234
  1. 1AirMate on the wall below the bedroom ACThe brain for this room: its radar sees a sleeper as present, so the AC stays on all night and goes off after you get up and leave
  2. 2AirMate below the living room ACKeeps cooling on while someone sits still on the sofa and turns the AC off a set time after the room empties
  3. 3AirMate beside the home office ACCools during working hours, holds the target temperature from its own sensor and stops when you step away for longer than your delay
  4. 4Your phone, anywhereOne app for every room: all off, one eco temperature, weekly schedules and how long each AC ran in an empty room
A two-bedroom flat with a split AC in the bedroom, the living room and the home office, a hallway and the front door, drawn to show where each part goes (not to scale).

How it works

  1. 1

    Place

    Put AirMate on its tilt stand or wall plate where it can see the AC's indoor unit and plug in USB-C power.

  2. 2

    Pair

    Choose your AC brand from the built-in code library, or let AirMate learn the buttons from your existing remote.

  3. 3

    Sense

    The mmWave radar senses moving and still people, and a temperature and humidity sensor reads the room.

  4. 4

    Control

    AirMate keeps your target temperature, runs schedules and turns the AC off after the room has been empty for your chosen delay.

  5. 5

    Review

    The app shows run hours, empty-room hours avoided and an estimated saving.

AirMate

AirMateLive
Bedroom · Split AC · Today
Room
Occupied · still
Room temp.
24.5 °C
Empty hours avoided
3.2 h
AC
Cool · 24 °C
limit 24°CRoom temperature (°C)
  • Room empty · AC turned off14:20

    No presence for 20 min; AC switched off

  • Presence detected · AC restored16:05

    Cooling resumed at 24 °C

  • Pre-cool schedule started18:30

    Living room set to 25 °C before arrival

  • AC not responding21:10

    Temperature not falling after command; check line of sight

App preview with sample data — interface in development

Key specs

AirMate IR hardware
AI processorESP32-C3 or ESP32-C6 (RISC-V, Wi-Fi + BLE; final module chosen after the Matter flash test)
SensorsHLK-LD2410C 24 GHz mmWave presence radar · Sensirion SHT45 temperature and humidity sensor · Vishay TSOP38238 IR receiver for code learning · 940 nm IR LED array behind the front window
ConnectivityWi-Fi 4 (2.4 GHz) · Matter over Wi-Fi (thermostat / room AC device type, planned) · BLE for setup
Power5 V USB-C, ~1 W (target)
EnclosureCompact rounded white unit with a dark IR window across the top edge; keyhole wall mount or small tilt stand; USB-C powered
Dimensions4.8 × 4.8 × 2.0 cm
Weight~30 g (est.)
All target specifications

Sensing

Sensing target specifications
PresenceMoving and still people, up to ~5 m
TemperatureRoom temperature and humidity
Empty delayAdjustable, e.g. 10–60 min
IR rangeUp to ~8 m line of sight (target)

Control

Control target specifications
AC typesSplit, mini-split, window and portable ACs with IR remotes
CodesBuilt-in library plus learning mode
ModesCool, heat, dry, fan, schedules, setback
Smart homeMatter over Wi-Fi (planned), app

Power and physical

Power and physical target specifications
Supply5 V USB-C, ~1 W
Size4.8 × 4.8 × 2.0 cm
MountingTilt stand or wall plate
ColourWhite with dark IR window

Targets for production units; they may change during development.

Pricing

Hardware: $49 per room

Software: No subscription required

No subscription is needed for any core feature. A multi-room pack and property pricing are planned.

Single Room

$49 per room (founding-list early bird $39, target)

One AirMate for one split AC or mini-split.

  • mmWave presence
  • Target temperature and schedules
  • App and Matter control (planned)
  • No subscription

Home Pack

3 rooms (price TBC)

Three units for bedrooms and living areas.

  • 3 AirMate units
  • Whole-home schedules
  • Run-time and savings summary
  • Priority beta firmware

Property

Custom

For landlords, short-let hosts and small offices.

  • Volume pricing
  • Multi-site dashboard (planned)
  • Default temperature policies
  • Bulk setup support

Indicative launch pricing in USD, excluding taxes and shipping. Final pricing is confirmed before any balance is charged.

Community

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    From the product lab · ideation phase

    Lab updates for AirMate IR

    All lab updates
    1. LatestAir conditioning is in 88% of US homes (EIA 2020 household energy survey); split units in bedrooms and offices run on in empty rooms, while simple motion controls switch them off on people sitting still or asleep (AirMate IR page).
      • Drawn idea plan (idea.json): a two-bedroom flat from above with a split AC in the bedroom, the living room and the home office; pins for the AirMate under each AC and the one app on your phone
      • The product picture is now this drawn plan instead of the plain fallback card; drawn from the use cases on the page, not the CAD
      • Every catalogue product now has a drawn idea plan. AirMate has no design-folder record, so the product page and the concept builder now also read products/<page>/idea.json directly
      • What the plan keeps from the market work: radar and no camera or microphone, one unit per AC because infrared needs a clear view of each AC, and savings stay estimates
      • Next: close-out C9 (recommend the first product to the owner) from 30 Oct 00:00; until then a deeper market check on one flagship

      Full research and design

    2. A small hotel, motel or rental host has three room problems sold separately: smoking in non-smoking rooms ($620–1,300 an incident, Minut), ACs cooling empty rooms (occupancy setback worth up to about $180 a room a year, vendor-reported by Onity, and a BPA study found guests and housekeeping undo plain sensors), and damp bathrooms in humid places where in-room ACs dry poorly (mould repairs $500–10,000+ a room, Hospitality Net). Our own three products for it cost about $547 and $13.50 a month a room.
      • Combined into GuestRoom (https://iemilabs.com/products/guestroom/); AirMate IR itself is unchanged

      Full research and design

    AirMate IR FAQ

    General FAQ
    Does AirMate use a camera or record audio?

    No. It has no camera and no microphone. Presence comes from a low-power radar that senses movement and breathing-level motion, not images. Presence and temperature are processed on the device, and only states and settings sync to the app.

    Can one AirMate control several ACs, and can I control them all from one place?

    Plan one compact AirMate per AC: infrared needs a clear view of each AC’s receiver and the radar decides whether its own room is empty. You manage all of them together in the AirMate app’s All rooms screen (all off, one eco temperature, the same rules everywhere), and in Home Assistant with the prototype firmware. Matter support is planned.

    Is AirMate IR certified?

    Not yet. FCC, CE and BIS/WPC radio testing and Matter certification are planned before shipping, not completed. Savings figures are estimates, not measured or guaranteed results.

    How is it installed?

    Mount the compact unit on the wall with its keyhole slots or put it on the small tilt stand, where it can see the AC's indoor unit, plug in USB-C and pair it in the app. No wiring or tools are needed, and it takes a few minutes.

    Will it work with my AC, and what connectivity does it need?

    It is designed for split, mini-split, window and portable ACs that use an infrared remote, with a code library and a learning mode. It needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for the app and remote control; Matter over Wi-Fi support is planned. Local presence control keeps working if the internet drops.

    Is AirMate IR available now?

    No. It is a new concept in development. Specifications are target specifications. It is a concept: we are not taking orders, reservations or deposits, and it has no ship date yet.

    What warranty will it come with?

    We are planning a 2-year limited hardware warranty covering manufacturing defects. Final terms will be published before shipping begins.

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    AirMate IR

    Concept · target $49

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