For all the hype about the internet of things - the idea that household appliances will one day be able to communicate wirelessly with one another - a lot of people are stuck with their old, unconnected appliances that most definitely can't be controlled remotely. That will all change if Korean company Naran has its way.
Working with crowd-funding platform Indigogo, the company has created a microbot dubbed Push which, as its name implies, pushes things. In most cases, that would be a button.
Attaching a Push to a home appliance allows users to remotely tell the microbot to turn the machine on or off, bringing everyone one step closer to the wired world.
The pressure from the Push button is equivalent to 1.6 kilograms of weight. It fits over other buttons or switches and is controlled by Bluetooth. Using it allows everything from light switches to washing machines to be controlled from somewhere far away. Multiple buttons can be controlled with a single device or via a smartphone app. Of course, the buttons can also be pushed manually, if one happens to be standing by the relevant button.
Push comes with a built-in battery that can be recharged with a micro-USB cord. Developers promise customers will be given updates for their devices. However, the company has yet to say how much the Push will cost.