Electronic 'mother' watches over home

Resembling a Russian nesting doll, the pint-sized robotic device wants to be your "mother."

The electronic device with wireless connectivity can transform any object in the home into a smart one.

It can detect unexpected activity at the front door, keep track of watering of plants, and even ensure family members take their medicine or brush their teeth.

Designed by the French startup Sen.se, it is called simply "Mother."

"It's a very simple system that allows you to transform any object in everyday life into a connected device," said company founder Rafi Haladjian at a preview showing ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The device uses specially designed "motion cookies," which the company calls "magical sensors" that detect movement, temperature, patterns and more. The tiny cookies are attached to the devices the user wants to monitor.

Some 16 centimeters (six inches) tall, Mother can be plugged into a home network and monitor up to 24 objects.

"This is not science fiction, it's not gesture-based control," said Haladjian."It's normal everyday things like brushing your teeth or taking medicine. We have a cookie (sensor) inside which makes these more useful without learning new gestures or installing new applications."

Sen.se expects to ship Mother later this year, at a price of $222 with four cookies, and $99 for a set of four additional sensors.

© 2014 AFP