It never gets old: The stunning look of Basalte touchpads for home automation. The sleek Euro-style surface-mount controllers come in a variety of form factors and materials – leather, different metals and more – for placement in all types of rooms.
Based in Belgium, the company’s Sentido touchpads are popular in Europe because, well, Europeans have style. But they’re also popular because they incorporate KNX, Europe’s prevailing home- and building-automation standard.
As such, they can control scores of KNX-compatible products including lights, temperature and motorized shades, and they can do this through several multi-touch points on their controllers, including the side bezels.
In the U.S., KNX is barely getting started, so it’s good to know that Sentido now integrates with both Lutron HomeWorks QS and Crestron via serial communications.
At CEDIA Expo 2015, Basalte gave us a look at its new thermostat-control feature, including the operation of HVAC fans. Two-way feedback is available through a digital read-out on Basalte's Deseo touchpad, shown for the first time in the U.S. at CEDIA.
Crestron and Lutron HomeWorks QS both have nice touchpads of their own, but Basalte’s are something to behold.
The manufacturer is now represented in the U.S. by several independent reps and we expect more integrations to come.
VIDEO: Basalte Deseo lighting and thermostat control at CEDIA 2015 (forgive the flicker — it's the camera, not the display)
