Smart Home Technology is the integration of state of the art technologies and software into homes to make them smarter, more secure, convenient and affordable. This new concept in home automation began in the 1990s. Initially, domotics was the first form of smart home technology. Domotic is the integration of automation technologies to provide home solutions for all home needs. It is also known as intelligent home, smart home, or multi-smart home. Basically, it is the automation of the entire home environment through the use of various technologies, appliances and software to create smart and convenient home situations for users.
In terms of smart home technology, robotics offers the most advanced in applications and features for home automation. Domotics can control most home features including climate control, lighting, temperature control, security, and home alarms. It can also integrate home safety including access control and automated alarm systems. For instance, you can have lighting sensors turn on when the front door or window open, shutters go up and down and fans turn on and off at pre-set intervals.
Another application of smart home technology is smart security. With smart security, you can have lighting and security systems that alert you to potential intruders. There are also appliances that turn on specific times, day or night. The appliance could either turn itself on for no reason every time the sun sets or turn on at a specific time every day. For instance, your lights could automatically turn on at dusk so that you can be home during daylight hours instead of in the dark.
One of the biggest factors why smart homes work so well is because of smart appliances and devices. Smart appliances allow automation and communication between the devices and the house. In other words, you can have your television, coffee maker, air conditioner, washer, dryer, refrigerator, and microwave all communicating with each other so that they can perform their duties and help keep things comfortable and convenient. Some examples of smart appliances are text messaging, remote operation, and email automation.
Home automation doesn’t stop there. Other smart home technology such as window and door sensors and heat sensors will help to keep people out of the cold and heat of winter and the heat and humidity of the summer months with whole house humidifier. All of these gadgets are hooked up together using wireless technology. These kinds of gadgets allow you to control your home through the internet. There are many kinds of internet-connected smart homes that allow you to control all of your devices from anywhere in the world.
So as you can see, smart home technology encompasses many different areas. In fact, the only thing left to do is figure out what all you can afford and what kind of system you would like to have. Remember, most systems that use hardwired systems tend to be more expensive.
Smart Home Automation
Home automation refers to the integration of technology to make daily life more convenient. Home automation, which can also be referred to as domotics, is basically constructing automated systems for a house, termed a smart home. A smart home is one that is fully equipped with all modern comforts and gadgets. A smart home will also have all the necessary devices installed in it, that one would find in an office, such as computers, printers, faxes, modems, wireless internet, etc. It can also come with home security like access control and security alarms.
There are various components involved in smart home automation. The most important part of any smart system is the control panel, which controls all the devices and is integrated with the central computer. There are a variety of smart home automation options to choose from depending on the type of home one lives in. One of the most popular smart options includes lighting controls. Most smart lights come with a motion sensor that turns them on when they are crossing a certain line or when they become dimmer than usual. Other devices are controlled by switches, such as light switches, wall mounted switches, motion detectors, or thermostats.
Another component of smart home automation is the thermostat. In automation thermostats determine the temperature of the air inside the house based on the temperature outside. With a thermostat one does not have to maintain several sets of temperature settings for several rooms in the house. Some devices like digital refrigerators or dishwashers can be controlled by a single thermostat. Other appliances, such as clothes dryers, ovens, washers, televisions, etc., need more than just a single thermostat to work properly. Multiple thermostats can be hooked up to multiple devices to allow a balanced temperature throughout the house.
The integration of these home devices to the mobile app is the key to smart home automation. The smartphone needs to have an app installed in order to perform all of the tasks involved in automation. Once downloaded, the smartphone will begin communicating with the app. Some apps are used specifically for certain smart home automation devices, while others are universal and can be used on any smartphone.
In addition to thermostats and smart phones, the garage door opener is another popular smart home automation device. Garage doors openers are controlled via the smartphone or can also be controlled remotely using voice commands. This is useful for those who want to control the garage door manually without using the traditional remote control. Other devices are even more specific and have to be programmed directly with the smartphone.
A smart home security system can prevent theft in the home by monitoring various points of the property. There are many different systems available, including CCTV cameras and integrated locks. Using CCTV cameras to monitor the house is a great way to prevent crime in general, but if you don’t want to record to a video file then you can always get a smartphone and use integrated locks to keep your family safe. Regardless of which smart home automation technology you choose, there will be many benefits to be had by integrating all of these devices together.
Smart Home Gadgets
The number of smart home manufacturers is continually growing. Today, there are hundreds of options available in the home security field. And while many of them offer similar products, only some of them are as good as they say they are. In order to find out which smart home products are worth your investment and which aren’t, it’s important to do some research and learn a bit about the smart home technology out there.
The vast majority of smart home devices work by collecting motion readings using a motion sensor camera or other type of sensing device. They then send the information over to a remote monitoring device. From here, the homeowner has the ability to see and control lighting and temperature settings in real time. While this isn’t very advanced, it can make a big difference in safety and convenience. For this reason, we’ve tested hundreds of different smart home devices across all types of categories, from the most basic smart home cameras to the most advanced smart home hubs.
Motion sensors are one of the most popular smart home devices around. These are used for such things as smart lights and smart security cameras. When a person or pet enters a room, the smart lights turn on and off. The same goes for security cameras, with the camera detecting movement and playing a visual alert to the user over the internet.
One of the most advanced smart home devices available today is an app. These are plug and play systems that plug into the smart home network and require no special software to operate. Instead of being plugged into the wall, the smart home devices run on their own special software from anywhere in the house. From there, users can control and view everything from lighting controls to video surveillance.
Another one of the best smart home gadgets for controlling the whole house is a voice command program. These voice commands come not just from a television set or a set of speakers, but also from a smartphone, tablet computer or laptop. Users simply say the name of a device and it begins to function. This means the same commands you would use to turn on a light or play music from a speaker can be used to control the fridge, TV or other devices. For instance, if you want to place your smartphone on Task Mode so you can perform other tasks like watching YouTube, you can easily do so by saying “play music”.
And finally, perhaps the most revolutionary new addition to smart home devices is the Echo Dot. This product combines a speakerphone and an internet enabled mobile phone. Instead of having the Echo Dot connected to your phone via Bluetooth or wired connection, the Dot uses its own four-position connection mode. When it’s in the hands of a person, it acts as a telephone by picking up and transmitting the sound. The person then answers the call, dials a number and answers call through their mobile phone. A lot has been made possible with the Echo Dot, and the manufacturers are confident that they have created a gadget that will change the way we interact with our homes.
Smart Home Security Systems and Alarms
Smart home security technology has evolved to include the home security system that is integrated with smart devices. Home security incorporates both the physical security hardware installed on a home and people’s personal protective security habits. Many security products available in the market today already have smart features integrated. Home security hardware consists of deadbolts, locks, windows, alarms, access control systems, and perimeter sensors.
With the evolution of smart home security technology, the devices become more intelligent. This enables them to determine threats and enable users to take pre-emptive measures before crimes happen. For instance, an intruder could leave a wireless fingerprint sensor near a door or window. When the sensor is triggered, the device could then dial the door or window bell or automatically call the police.
The camera or other smart home security device could also be triggered by movement detected by its sensors. It could then capture images of the person who has entered. Other smart home security devices could include smart home security cameras. With a built-in DVR or smart camera, a family’s surveillance could be monitored 24 hours a day by downloading the images to a tablet computer or other portable device. Or, a remotely located keypad could initiate action based on visual information received from the camera. Some devices allow the user to view captured video remotely even without connection from the internet or cell phone signal.
As the technology supporting smart home security systems continues to advance, homeowners will find new ways to protect their families. One promising advance is the addition of motion detection sensors to the home security system. Such a system would be very useful for a home where a babysitter is taking care of children or for elderly parents who want to make sure they are staying safe and aware at all times. A home without such a system may be subject to robbery by a curious adult or child.
Beyond visible signs of a security system in place, a home owner may not be aware that his or her house is protected by smart locks. These days, homeowners can purchase smart locks made of strong, durable materials that are tamper resistant and yet are tamper resistant. Some modern smart locks come with a fingerprint sensor that opens them with a slight touch. This means that the homeowner doesn’t have to punch in a code in order to turn the lock on or off. For added protection, some of these fingerprint locks come with a magnetic clasp that cannot be picked up by a burglar. The only way a thief could break one of these locks is if he or she knew how to operate a keypad to set it off.
Beyond visible or audible signs of a smart locks and alarms, one way that the safety of family members can be improved is through the installation of security lighting. Motion sensors can be strategically installed throughout a home to trigger lighting systems when they detect movement. In this way, the lights will turn on as soon as anyone passes by, thus waking sleeping children and allowing burglars to be detected long before they make their way into the home. These motion sensors can be armed with the touch of a finger or a special remote.