What is Home Automation?
What an interesting subject.
Home Automation is the concept/technology that allow you to control systems and devices in your home from anywhere, or almost, in the world. Even though the term is used to designate even a single, isolated, devices, such as a sprinkler system, a smart thermostat or an outside light, it should be used to describe the complete framework into which a complete home, from a light bulb to your oven, is controllable.
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Home Automation: The beginning
To understand the technology, it’s a good thing to know where it comes from. The concept of home automation is not new. Actually, it’s been around for a long time. Specially in science fiction where a complete house was automated including robots to help everyone in the household.
The first step in home automation actually happened in the 1900, with the invention of the appliance we want to control. These appliances where invented to help maids in their chores. However, even those simple appliances such as refrigerators, iron and toaster where still too expensive for most households.
In 1971 came the microprocessors. These small electronic devices are at the heart of most electronic systems and are the reason for a rapid price drop in electronics. This was a food step in the right direction and automation of industrial processes started using micro electronics. However, the prices of these automation was far above what people could afford.
The actual Smart Home concept had it’s debut in 1984 from the American Association of House Builders. However, it was still only a dream.
Home automation really took off in the early 1990. The technology started to be affordable not only for the rich and famous. This increased in smart home technology spread is also due to the development of the Internet.
As micro electronics and information technology becomes more and more affordable, Smart Devices are making their ways into households across the globe.
Nowadays, Smart Devices and Smart Appliances connects to local area network using Ethernet, Wifi, radio waves or even electric wires. And, with the arrival of the Internet of Thing concept, individual devices having their own “address”, it is easier to integrate and track, and control them through your home network.
Automation of your home
What is automation?
It refers to the ability to program and/or schedule a “system” for it to execute it’s task(s) at a predetermined time or condition(s). In the case of home automation these systems are the smart devices and smart appliances that links to your network. The programming might include scheduling of events, turning on your light from dusk ’til dawn or non scheduled event such as sending you a message every time your door is opened.
It’s the automation part that bring a whole lot of possibilities to the table. Once you have understood that, you can create any number of creative solutions to make your life easier by programming and scheduling your Smart Devices.
For example, you do not want your blinds to be opened when dusk sets in. However, if you leave your blind closed all day, your plants will have trouble growing. The solution is to simply use smart motorized blinds to open and close them at a specific time, based on sunset and sunrise.
The possibility are really endless!
Remote control and monitoring
The second interesting fact about most modern smart device is the ability to remotely access, monitor and control them. One way remote control or monitoring has been integrated in home automation for a while, but with the availability of personal computers, tablets and smartphone, it is now possible to connect to your home network and access all connected devices and appliances using Internet.
As an example, a family member had installed, in the late 80s, an automation system in his cottage to “control” the heating system and water heater. Before leaving home he would call a special number which was linked to the automation system and would set the heating system or the water heater to on. When he arrived, he had hot water and a hot cottage.
Nowadays, I can access my home network and open and close the light with Wemo light switch directly from my phone. Also, with Smart Thermostat such as the Nest Learning thermostat, this family could just press a button on his phone while en-route to control the temperature and would be able to know if that temperature would be reached before he arrived home.
Home Automation used for Monitoring
Having the capability to monitor your systems, and at the same time your home, can provide you with a plethora of useful information on the status of your house and any events. As such, most application, will give access yo a detailed history of the events that have passed. Also, with a complete home automation system you could track the status of:
- Lighting;
- Temperature;
- Security system;
- Door lock;
- Water alarm;
- Status of plant watering;
- Pet feeding; and
- Many more
Home Automation used to Control
The actual remote control of the system comes into play when you start to interact with your home automation system at home using an Internet-connected device. And, the amount of smart devices available on the market makes it possible to control anything such as:
- Motorized blinds;
- Indoor and outdoor lighting;
- Door locks;
- Garage door;
- Heating and cooling;
- Irrigation system; and
- much more.
Remember that the possibilities are endless.
Notification
A home automation notifications are a “side effect” of the combination of smartphones with the remote monitoring of the system. They are a blessing because you do not need to be actively monitoring your smart devices and smart home systems. If there is any events of interest, they will notify you by sending you an email or a text message. Some smart system ties into the IFTT system giving you more versatility. As such, you could know when your door unlocks or when your garage door opens.
Home Automation: Components
What can be included into a home automation system? What are the things that makes up a home automation system?
The answer is both simple and complex. Let me explain…
You can connect any device, appliance or system to your home network to automate it and control it from afar. As such, in our world, building automation is widely used by companies to automate process, monitor temperature sensitive rooms, handle dangerous materials, etc.
However, for us, homeowner, apartment dwellers and small business owners, home automation is usually used to connect “binary”, On/Off or Open/Close, devices such as light switches, power outlet, door locks, garage door opener and many more.
If you want more information on a smart home components, just read this.
Smart Home
The Smart component of the home automation system is the actual “brain” of the system, an Internet enabled device that controls your entire Smart Home.
The classic “brain” or control unit is a home computer, or something similar, such as a Raspberry Pi. Nowadays, it’s possible that one of the component has some control and monitoring over certain other devices such as a security system panel or Wi-Fi router.
These days, a lot of devices are individualistic due to the nature of competition between different companies. Most manufacturers have their own way of how their devices should be connected and controlled. As such, you often end controlling different devices with different applications.
However, there is a solution to that mess of application on your smart phone.
A central system can control a multitude of smart devices when you have the correct components and software installed. The installation and usage of those centralized solutions are often open source software supported by a huge community. It’s true that it’s not a ready made solution and it requires some work from you.
But, once everything integrates into the system, it’s much easier and faster to control and monitor your Smart Home. Maybe one day a standard will come out and all manufacturers would use it it, but for now, integrated solutions are few and they only provide control for the most basic smart devices at a price.
Extra Benefits of Home Automation
Energy efficiency
Climate control
One of the biggest advantage of home automation is the incredible potential to save energy, and thus lower your cost. Your thermostat is probably the programmable kind that allows you some control over the temperature of your house to lower the energy usage when you are away from home or even better, a smart thermostat that allows you to control it when you are away.
However, by setting the time and temperature target as a program in the thermostat, everyday it will try to reach that target and keep energy usage at a minimum when you are not likely to require heating and/or cooling.
The Timers
Another basic level of home automation is the mechanical timer use to close down lights and other electronic devices. As such, you can tailor your lighting need to your schedule and you can make sure that the lights are closed for certain period. Also, that schedule is also applicable to some other devices, again using a programmable timer.
The Sum of All Home Automation
However, even if those set schedule are useful, your daily activities vary and if you are like me, your schedule is not always fixed. And, it can be annoying to get to a cool house in winter because some day you finish earlier. This is where home automation at is best comes into play.
Also, driving the energy cost down even further with the use of the increasing flexibility that the home automation system offers in managing temperature and lighting. Just imagine that you could create a “button” on your smartphone called “Going Home”.
With a press of that button, when you leave work for example, would wake up the environment control system to bring the house to a comfortable level. It would also, turn on the outside light and maybe some inside one to prepare for your coming.
The same process could be executed leaving your house.
And, pressing the button would make sure that all lighting, appliances and non-required electronics turns off and the environmental control system would either stop or run in an energy conservation mode.
Security
Another significant advantage of home automation is the security aspect of it.
Except if you have always someone home, it is very hard to assess the situation and the status of your systems. A well configured and equipped home automation system is almost like if you had someone home all the time.
smart water sensor protects and notify you in case of a water overflow. A smart door lock will let you know when someone is opening the door, while a smart doorbell will inform you when someone is knocking on your door.
You could schedule your light in such a way to create a pattern of light in your house as to create the impression that there is someone home.
The security advantages are numerous and without any doubt very useful.
Conclusion
Even if seems confusing and that only the tech savvy can use home automation, it’s absolutely not true. Having a smart home is within your reach and it could simplify your life. Don’t forget about the side benefits of home automation, in the long term, you will save money and you might create a real safe heaven for your family.
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