PLUMIS’ AUTOMIST NAMED ON TIME'S LIST OF BEST INVENTIONS

OCTOBER 24th, 2023

Today, TIME has revealed its annual list of the Best Inventions, which features 200 extraordinary innovations changing lives – including Automist.

To compile the list, TIME’s editors and correspondents around the world, and through an online application process, pay special attention to growing fields—such as AI, green energy and sustainability. TIME then evaluates each contender on a number of key factors, including originality, efficacy, ambition, and impact.

Plumis has leveraged the automotive experience of electronic enhancement of mechanical systems with deep machine learning, to offer the only watermist system for the home which targets fires at the source. This enables fires to be tackled much sooner, using 90% less water than a traditional sprinkler.

On Plumis making the TIME’s list of Best Inventions, Yusuf Muhammad, the company’s chief design officer, said: “Our culture as a company is centred around continuous professional development and so we are always looking at how technological advancements can be embraced to further enhance our offering, which is exactly what we’ve achieved with Automist.  

“We developed Automist because we believed we could develop a system that could improve survivability, reduce insurance losses, and deliver better outcomes for people and property. Our intelligent technology outperforms traditional systems, operating faster to minimise the production of smoke and heat.”

Numerous regions across the world have adopted the International Building Code (IBC) 2003, which requires fire sprinklers in all new builds. Plumis offers an alternative solution designed to blend discreetly with any décor and installation is low impact as the system connects to the existing water supply, without the need for a tank or bulky pipework.

As Automist uses much less water, any potential damage is significantly reduced and unlike conventional systems it is dry until activated, so there is a lower risk of leaks with it being far less susceptible to burst pipes caused by freezing or seismic activity.

In addition, home insurance policies also contain a fire risk, which varies with size, location, and proximity to a fire station. Plumis’ system reduces risk to existing and new-build homes, creating a market for insurers to adopt the system.

A previous version of the system has been installed in over 12,000 homes, with the team preparing to officially launch a brand-new US system next year.

See the full list of TIME’s Best Inventions 2023.