Big Ass Fans’ new Haiku with SenseME technology is big news: it’s the first time the ceiling fan has evolved in over 100 years of whirling. Essentially, the Haiku is a smartfan. Its SenseMe technology, which is exclusive to the Haiku fan, uses precise environmental sensors and an infrared motion sensor to detect movement and heat. When somebody enters the room, the Haiku turns on. When somebody leaves the room, it turns off. Room temperature is monitored as well: the Haiku speeds up or slows down according to your preferences across seven speeds. This was enough for Energy Star to name it the world’s most energy-efficient ceiling fan.
That’s smart, but this thing is Ivy league. An embedded wi-fi chip makes a smartphone app an active remote (via Bluetooth) and a passive controller based on user preference; with its predictive learning microprocessor, the SenseMe will remember your settings for the future. Also, great rooms with more than one SenseMe fan can be grouped and identically synced together.
But the SenseMe isn’t limited to just circulating air. Having a central light as part of the ceiling fan isn’t exactly ground trembling, but the Haiku’s 39 high-efficiency LEDs do more than just flick on and off. SenseME’s scheduling feature allows users to preset on and off times during the day, and in the morning, the Haiku’s Gradual Awake mode increases light and fan speed gradually for a less abrupt, more zen way of waking up than an alarm clock. Light can also be manually brightened or dimmed via the fan’s smartphone app, which is convenient at night when you’re already nestled under the covers.
It’s also well built. Each is handcrafted, made with sustainable Moso bamboo or composite, and put together in a meticulous 13-step process to ensure that it’ll never rattle, crackle or pop. In fact, Popular Science ranked it as the world’s quietest fan — even when set to “whoosh mode”, which adds up to 40 percent more cooling and ostensibly blows the toupee off your great uncle’s bald dome.
It comes in three different size diameters (52, 60 and 84 inches), black or white finishes and can fit flat and sloped ceilings. Great ceiling decor, no doubt, but the Haiku with SenseMe looks just as good on your electric bill.