Ugreen is moving beyond chargers and network storage with a smart home system designed to keep security footage, personal files and artificial intelligence processing inside the home.
Unveiled at the IFA technology show, HomeAgent combines a network-attached storage device, smart home controller and security hub. It is operated through Uliya, Ugreen’s voice assistant, which can respond to natural-language commands and control connected devices.
The company says the system will allow users to avoid sending camera footage and other household data to the cloud, while also removing the monthly storage charges associated with many smart security services. The trade-off is expected to be a higher initial purchase price, although Ugreen has not yet published retail costs.
Ugreen HomeAgent brings local AI to the smart home
HomeAgent’s central hub is intended to process video and run automated tasks on the device itself. Ugreen says it can identify people, vehicles, pets and parcels, track subjects across multiple cameras, search recordings using AI and answer questions such as where a pet was last seen.
The hub can also store ordinary digital content, including photographs, music and films, making it a conventional NAS as well as a smart home server. Ugreen is introducing an E Ink Spectra-powered photo frame that can display pictures saved on the hub without requiring them to be uploaded to an online service.
Three versions will be available. The standard HomeAgent HA100 is aimed at basic rule-based automation and voice commands, while the HA100 Pro adds greater contextual and semantic understanding. At the top of the range, the MasterAgent MA100 uses Nvidia’s Jetson Thor T5000 platform, which Ugreen says delivers up to 2,070 teraflops of AI performance.
The system is designed to work with devices made by other manufacturers through the Matter smart home standard. It is also intended to support Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Thread, Bluetooth, NFC, ONVIF, RTSP and Power over Ethernet equipment.
However, compatibility will initially be limited. Ugreen’s early approved list includes products from Aqara, ThirdReality, SwitchBot and Eve, with the first phase focused on lights, switches, sensors and curtains. The company has advised customers to use supported devices while it expands compatibility.
Ugreen is launching its own range of cameras alongside HomeAgent, including the SynCare Indoor Cam ID500 Pro, the PoE-enabled SynCare Cam OD600 Pro and the battery-powered SynCare Cam OD800 Pro. Footage from the cameras is recorded locally on the HomeAgent hub.
A demonstration at IFA showed Uliya controlling Nanoleaf lights and smart blinds by voice. Ugreen is also developing a dedicated smart speaker for the assistant, as well as an accompanying mobile application.
The local-first approach does not mean the system can operate entirely without an internet connection. Remote viewing of cameras and push notifications require online access, and users can choose to run Uliya through the cloud rather than solely on the hub.
HomeAgent will launch through Kickstarter in October, initially with discounted early-bird pricing. Ugreen has not said when standard retail sales will begin or how much the different configurations will cost.
