Chapter 2: Home automation
Building automation for a home is referred to as home automation or domotics. Home automation systems are designed to monitor and/or control various aspects of a home, including the lighting, climate, entertainment systems, and appliances contained within the home. Access control and alarm systems are two examples of other types of home security that may be included.
When we talk about a "smart house," we are referring to home automation equipment that are connected to the internet. The term "home automation" refers to a more comprehensive category that encompasses not just devices that have internet connectivity but also any equipment that can be monitored or controlled through the use of wireless radio waves. In the context of the Internet of Things (often abbreviated as "IoT"), home sensors and activation devices are an essential component when they are connected to the Internet.
Typically, a home automation system will connect controlled devices to a central hub for smart home technology, which is also referred to as a "gateway" in some instances. Wall-mounted terminals, tablet or desktop computers, a mobile phone application, or a Web interface that may also be accessible off-site through the Internet are all examples of user interfaces that can be utilized for controlling the system.
In the beginning of home automation, machines that saved labor were in use. Home appliances that were self-contained and powered by either electricity or gas became feasible in the 1900s as a result of the introduction of electric power distribution. This led to the development of washing machines (1904), water heaters (1889), freezers (1913), sewing machines, dishwashers, and clothes dryers.
The first home automation network technology that was designed for widespread use was called X10, and it was developed in 1975. This protocol is used for electronic devices to communicate with one another. Electric power transmission cable is the primary method that is utilized for signaling and control purposes. The signals that are transmitted involve rapid bursts of digital data transmitted at radio frequency, and it continues to be the most generally available method.
According to research conducted by ABI, there were 1.5 million home automation systems installed in the United States by the fiscal year 2012.
It is anticipated that by the end of 2018, more than 45 million smart home gadgets will be deployed in households across the United States, as stated by the research firm Statista.
The French word "domotics" is a contraction of the Latin word for a house, which is "domus," and the English word "robotics." Within the context of the term "smart home," the term "smart" refers to the system's awareness of the status of its devices. This awareness is achieved through the utilization of the information and communication technologies (ICT) protocol and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Automation in the home is commonplace in a wide range of various domains, including the following:
According to research conducted by Microsoft Research in 2011, home automation may be associated with a high cost of ownership, a lack of flexibility for the interconnected devices, and a lack of manageability. Engineers take into consideration a number of aspects while building and developing a home automation system. These aspects include scalability, the degree to which the devices can be monitored and controlled, the convenience with which the user can install and use the system, cost, speed, security, and the ability to detect problems. According to the findings of iControl, consumers place a higher value on simplicity of use than they do on technological innovation. Despite the fact that consumers acknowledge that new connected devices have an unrivaled cool factor, they are not yet prepared to utilize these devices in their own homes.
Historically, systems have been offered as full systems, which means that the consumer relies on a single vendor for the entirety of the system, which includes the user interface, the communications protocol, the central hub, and the hardware. On the other hand, there are now open hardware and open source software systems that can be utilized in place of proprietary gear or in conjunction with existing hardware. The Arduino and Raspberry Pi are two examples of consumer electronics that are freely accessible online and at most stores that sell electronics. Many of these systems are able to connect with these consumer electronics. Additionally, home automation equipment are increasingly being interfaced with mobile phones through Bluetooth, which enables the customer to have increased customization options and a lower overall cost.
There is a lack of technical standards and platform fragmentation in the home automation industry, which is a situation in which the variety of home automation devices, in terms of both hardware variations and differences in the software that runs on them, makes it difficult to develop applications that work consistently across different technology ecosystems that are inconsistent with one another. When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), customers can be hesitant to place their bets on proprietary software or hardware devices that employ proprietary protocols that might become obsolete or difficult to configure and interconnect.
It is possible that the nature of home automation devices might also be a problem for security, data security, and data privacy. This is due to the fact that fixes to problems detected in the core operating system frequently do not reach users of older and less expensive devices. The inability of suppliers to provide patches and upgrades for older devices, according to the findings of one group of researchers, leaves more than 87 percent of active devices susceptible to vulnerabilities.
A number of renters who rent from landlords who have made the decision to equip their homes with smart home technology have expressed their concerns. The security of door passcodes that are retained by the landlord, the potential invasion of privacy that comes with linking smart home technology to home networks, and weak wireless connections that render the door or appliance unusable or impractical are some of the concerns that are included in this category.
Additionally, user studies have been carried out by researchers in order to ascertain the obstacles that customers have while attempting to incorporate home automation devices or systems into their day-to-day responsibilities. One of the most important things that I learned was that consumers prefer "plug and play" solutions over more intricate setups. This is one of the primary takeaways that I gained from this. According to the findings of one study, there were significant gaps in the mental models that have been formed by users understanding the functioning of the gadgets. In particular, the findings demonstrated that there was a great deal of confusion over the storage location of the data that was gathered by smart devices and the manner in which it was utilized. One of the participants, for instance, believed that her iPad could connect directly with the smart light, instructing it to either switch off or on. This was the case in the smart light configuration. To be more specific, the iPad is responsible for transmitting a signal to the cloud system that the company employs (specifically, the Hue Bridge), which then transmits the signal straight to the device.
To summarize, this industry is still in the process of developing, and the characteristics of each gadget are always shifting. During the time that those working in the field of technology are working to develop security protocols that are more secure, simplified, and standardized, consumers also need to learn more about how these devices operate and what the repercussions of placing them in their homes can be. At the moment, the expansion of this sector is restricted not only by technological advancements but also by the user's capacity to have faith in a device and successfully incorporate it into his or her routine activities.
The utilization of home automation may result in the development of energy-saving strategies that are both more effective and more smart. Through the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) with renewable energy systems like solar power or wind power, homes are able to make decisions on their own regarding whether to store energy or use it for a specific appliance. This results in overall positive impacts on the environment as well as lower electricity bills for the consumers who use the system. Researchers have proposed using data from sensors that monitor consumer activity within the home to predict customer requirements and balance those needs with energy consumption. This would allow them to accomplish their goal.
Additionally, there is a significant potential for home automation to improve the safety and security of domestic households. First, "personal and family security," and second, "excitement about energy savings," are the key drivers of the demand for smart and connected devices, according to a poll that was conducted by iControl in the year 2015. A number of different intelligent security systems and surveillance configurations are included in home automation. Customers are able to keep an eye on their homes even while they are away from them, and they can also provide trusted members of their family with access to the information in the event that something occurs.
There are a lot of different vendors competing with each other, but there are more and more efforts being made toward open source solutions. However, there are problems with the current state of home automation, such as the absence of...
