RTI has announced its water-resistant U3 Remote Control is now shipping worldwide. The U3 remote is the perfect companion for outdoor entertaining areas such as hot tubs, pools, patios, and decks. It is also ideal for indoor applications where water and standard remotes don’t mix, such as kitchens, bathrooms, garages, gyms, and many work environments.
“Accidental contact with water — such as a drop in the pool or sink — can ruin a standard remote, but the need for intuitive control over today’s smart home systems isn’t confined to dry environments,” says Robert Lawton, RTI director of product management. “The water-resistant U3 enables integrators to provide their clients with exceptional control in any environment — whether it’s cooling off in the pool, lounging on the deck, or soaking in the bathtub — without the worry of damage to the remote.”
With its IP66 rating, the U3 remote delivers control with two-way feedback of connected electronics in environments too harsh for standard remotes. It even floats for easy retrieval if dropped in the water. The electronic paper display is easy to read in bright light — important for outdoor environments — and the fully programmable soft-touch buttons enable quick access to commonly used functions. The remote comes with an inductive charging station and secondary dock for water areas, and both are wall-mountable for convenience.
“The inductive charging and wireless programming updates allow the U3 to be completely sealed, delivering exceptional moisture and dust protection,” continues Lawton. “Our testing team even froze one in a pail of water!” (See video below.)
The remote uses the RTI dual-RF platform, supporting both 433 MHz RF for one-way control and 2.4 GHz ZigBee for bi-directional communication with RTI processors, which can support third-party electronics like music servers, lighting, and pool control systems. The low power requirement of the electronic paper display delivers a long battery life between charges, and the display can be fully customized to each project using the RTI Integration Designer programming software.
For more information, visit www.rticontrol.com.
