HARRISON, NY — April 23, 2026 — URC, a global leader in smart residential and commercial automation, today announced a major evolution of its technology ecosystem with the expansion of its breakthrough Automation Engine. Functioning as a sophisticated automation incubator, the Engine now serves as the launchpad for a new generation of intelligent, self-learning software solutions known as plugins. This announcement marks a significant milestone in URC's mission to redefine the smart home by moving beyond mere connectivity toward true, autonomous intelligence.
While the industry has long promised “smart homes,” most systems have remained merely connected. URC is bridging this gap by introducing URC Agents, AI-enabled virtual workers that operate within the Automation Engine to deliver the first truly intuitive living experience. These Agents act as digital concierges, continuously analyzing real-time environmental data and learning from homeowner behavior to make micro-adjustments instantly. When a user tweaks a thermostat or overrides a shade, the URC Agents recalibrate the installation program in the background, ensuring the home evolves alongside its residents. URC’s Total Control will now think, adapt, and evolve automatically, creating experiences reminiscent of Tony Stark‑level living.
New and Expanded Capabilities Native in URC’s Total Control
Intelligent Shading
Recently launched, URC’s Intelligent Shading monitors sun position, UV index, cloud cover, temperature, and wind gusts in real time to automate natural lighting with stunning precision. It uses the home’s exact latitude/longitude to calculate solar movement every few minutes, adjusting shades for glare reduction, heat control, and privacy. It even learns each user’s preferred morning light behavior, adjusting the day’s first movement accordingly.
Circadian Lighting
URC’s Circadian Lighting solution aligns indoor lighting with natural circadian rhythms using live sunrise/sunset data, weather, and human‑centric lighting models. By continuously adjusting color temperature and brightness, it promotes well‑being, productivity, and relaxation throughout the day.
Temperature Sense — New Launch
URC’s new Temperature Sense introduces breakthrough adaptive climate comfort by using continuous real‑time analysis to intelligently control ceiling fans in each room. It fuses room‑level temperature sensors or averaged thermostat readings with thermostat setpoints, rate‑of‑change spikes, and time‑of‑day context to fine‑tune airflow before HVAC even needs to engage. As temperatures rise, the Agent works in the background to automatically select the appropriate fan speed (low, medium, high, or max), applying a rate‑of‑change “boost” when it detects rapid warming. Most importantly, Temperature Sense learns from user behavior: when a homeowner manually adjusts a fan, the Agent temporarily yields, records the preference, and subtly shifts future thresholds for that room, delivering a comfort profile that becomes more personalized over time. The result is invisible comfort with reduced HVAC runtime, no short‑cycling, and zero dealer programming.
Key Benefits:
- Multi‑speed, self‑learning fan control that respects manual overrides
- Room‑specific comfort tuning with persisted memory across restarts
- Lower energy use through proactive air circulation
- Dealer‑friendly: no setup or custom programming required
Humidity Sense — New Launch
Humidity Sense brings autonomous, context‑aware moisture control to bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry spaces. Instead of static thresholds or simple timers, the Agent maintains a room‑specific adaptive baseline and watches for rapid humidity spikes and sustained elevation to decide exactly when to turn fans on and precisely when to turn them off. During a spike (like a shower), the Agent activates eligible fans and enforces a minimum runtime to ensure effective moisture removal. It then tracks recovery from the recorded peak and returns the space to quiet the moment levels approach the learned baseline. With occupancy awareness, the Agent extends runtime if a room is still in use, and it honors manual fan activations by folding them into its logic without fighting the user. The outcome is cleaner air, reduced mold risk, and less noise, again with zero configuration for the dealer.
Key Benefits:
- Adaptive baselines that learn seasonal and room‑specific patterns
- Spike detection + occupancy‑aware auto‑off for accuracy and comfort
- Reduced noise and energy by eliminating unnecessary runtimes
- Dealer‑friendly: no setup or custom programming required
A Smarter Home That Keeps Getting Smarter
With the Automation Engine, URC delivers:
- Real‑time micro‑adjustments - Systems update on each sensor change—temperature, humidity, sun position, and more. No more scheduled “blocks” or static logic.
- User‑driven learning - Every manual tweak informs future behavior across climate, shading, and lighting systems.
- Zero‑programming deployment - Dealers benefit from dramatically reduced configuration time, while clients experience intelligence that simply “appears” in their home.
- A unified, AI‑powered ecosystem - All Agents communicate through URC’s unified module framework, enabling advanced cross‑system interactions—like combining circadian lighting with shading or climate for holistic comfort.
“We’re delivering the future the industry has been talking about for years,” said Lars Granoe, VP of Product Development at URC. “Until now, homes were connected. With our Automation Engine and new URC Agents, they are truly smart. Our systems don’t just respond, they anticipate, evolve, and enhance daily life.”
"As I walked the floor at CEDIA 2025, it became clear that our industry is ready for the next evolution—where technology truly delivers on its long-held promises," said Justin Spiniolas, URC’s Lead Software Engineer. "The Total Control Automation Engine does that by enabling recurring moments of discovery and effortless simplicity in everyday living. It transforms static control into adaptive, cognitive intelligence without extensive custom programming."
Ron Pence, Marketing Lead, added: “This expansion means dealers can deploy super-charged intelligence without complicated programming steps. Users get a home that learns them, not the other way around.”
Uncompromising Privacy and Security
As URC pushes the boundaries of AI-driven automation, the company remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting dealer and user data. The Automation Engine is engineered with advanced security protocols to ensure that all learned behaviors and system configurations are guarded with the highest level of privacy. By prioritizing secure, local processing and strict data governance, URC ensures that the home remains a private sanctuary while it learns and adapts to the unique needs of its occupants.