You might just have an easier way to manage your smart home without leaning on custom automations or becoming an expert. Anker has unveiled the MindBase, an AI hub that serves as a decision-making "brain" for security cameras and other smart home devices.
The new hardware has on-device agents proactively taking action on security, cleaning, energy, and audio in your household. If your security camera detects an event, for instance, the MindBase will assess the risk and determine the appropriate response on its own. It might turn on lights or issue verbal warnings, not just flag the activity for you to make a choice later.
The approach could be particularly helpful for overnight security incidents where you won't always be present to take action. It should also be useful for those vacations where you don't want to keep checking your app for every notification. Those are common problems with smart home systems that aren't usually addressed.
An agent for network-attached storage (NAS), meanwhile, will oversee the growing data from your connected devices on products like Anker's own EverSafe Memory. All tasks run on an AI Core compute card with enough performance to complete tasks locally. You aren't dependent on the cloud just to handle your smart home, and that should help minimize privacy concerns.
Other agents, such as those for cleaning and energy, are poised to come later. Anker hasn't shared a timeline for when those agents will arrive, but it won't be surprising if at least some are contingent on new hardware. If you don't already have a robot vacuum or energy monitor, it might be worth holding off if you plan to get a MindBase.
The first product based on the platform will be an Anker MindBase Security Kit that combines the hub with a Eufy TrackLight Cam S1, the new Eufy Video Doorbell S4, a Smart Security Shield, and a collection of entry and motion sensors. Anker has yet to reveal the price or release date, but promises that the combination of the 4K-capable TrackLight Cam's 180-degree dual radar and the doorbell's 3K panoramic view will help "actively deter intruders."
Smart homes require smart purchases, and they aren't always cheap.
The MindBase can also tap into almost 100 existing Anker products as well as "hundreds" of Matter devices, although the full list isn't available. That brings Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google, and Home Assistant into the fold. You won't get the full MindBase functionality, but this integrates your existing infrastructure into the same network.
The hope, of course, is that you'll rely on the MindBase's more advanced features and stick to the Eufy ecosystem to be sure everything runs smoothly. While that effectively locks you into the company's product line, it might be worthwhile if you find your smart home overwhelming and are comfortable delegating some of the work to AI agents.
