Smart
home technology
Home automation has come a long way
from the manual timer hooked up to the living room light.
Today’s “smart?home automatically regulates heat, air and
light, distributes audio and video around the house, controls
access to your home and can even remind you to exercise!
New technologies and product
advances have made home technology systems more affordable than
ever and have brought home systems integration into the
mainstream. According to a study done in 2004 by the National
Association of Home Builders Research Center and the Consumer
Electronics Association, nearly half of all new homes being
built in the U.S. are now using structured copper “smart?
wiring to enable the installation of new home technology
systems.
How it Works
There are four main types of networks you can install in your
home to support the available new technology. Each has its
advantages and disadvantages depending on whether you are wiring
a new home or upgrading an existing home.
- Structured wiring involves
running specialized high performance cabling throughout your
home. It provides a highly reliable and secure network that
distributes data signals for phones, computers, TVs and
audio components. It’s ideal for new construction but not
always easy to install in an existing home. Also, networking
is limited to the reach of cables, jacks and plugs.
- Wireless networks provide
the advantages of flexibility and mobility and virtually
eliminate the wiring dilemmas often faced by existing
homeowners. However, wireless networks tend to be less
reliable and subject to interference from other devices such
as baby monitors and cordless phones.
- Power-line networks use
a home’s existing electrical lines to transmit data. They
are relatively easy to set up and operate but carry the risk
of power surges, and an unencrypted household network may be
accessible to neighbors sharing the same transformer.
- Phone-line networks use
a home’s telephone lines to carry multiple services.
Typically, each service is assigned a unique frequency
spectrum so they don’t interfere with one another. Smart
home technology may also enable you to dial in via a phone
line to control specific home operating systems and/or be
pre-set to dial out to a monitoring service in the case of a
fire or break-in.
While the possibilities for home
automation are only limited by your imagination, the choices
facing the average homeowner may seem daunting. The good news is
that you do not need to become a technological expert in order
to enhance your home’s capabilities. A home technology
integrator can design, implement, and tie together your home’s
various electronic systems. These include:
Entertainment
You may have been impressed by a friend’s home theatre setup
one night, when they popped a movie in their DVD player and gave
you the large screen, surround sound experience. But why not
take this experience further? Using fairly simple automation
technology, you could push a “movie?button on a touch pad
in your family room. The lights would dim, the blinds would
close, the popcorn maker would spring into action, the fridge
would check for adequate ice levels for your soda, and your
calls would be automatically forwarded straight to your
answering service. With a little creativity and planning, all
these events can be achieved using a home network.
It would be equally simple, using motion sensors and your stereo
system, to play music every time you enter a room in your home
-- something upbeat, perhaps, for the home gym, maybe classical
music for your study -- the possibilities are endless. Or you
could sit in your living room and select the music you want to
listen to via on-screen menus that are displayed on your TV.
You could even monitor your children’s television and
video-game habits, when you’re not at home by programming the
network to alert your cell phone if your children watch too much
television or inappropriate programming. Or you can simply
program the TV or gaming console to shut off after a certain
amount of time.
Security
Using smart home automation technology, you can program your
lights to simulate normal in-home activity when you’re away.
For example, some time around your regular bedtime, your bedroom
lights and TV will turn on while the rest of the house will be
darkened. And this lighting routine can be set up to change on
the weekend.
To protect against break-ins, you can position web cams at home
entrances and install an alarm system that uses heat and motion
sensors to alert you and a remote security company in the case
of an intruder.
In the case of fire, your smoke detector can be wired to sound
not just an alarm but also to send a signal to your
air-conditioning system fans to shut down, alert you and
specified contacts and illuminate an evacuation route throughout
the house.
Energy
Energy savings can be realized by automating thermostats, lights
and other environmental systems such as garden sprinklers and
fountains. Integrating all of these into one environmental
system can help ensure a minimum waste of energy in your home.
For example, on a hot, sunny day, weather sensors can activate
blind and drapery controls to shade your home, and ensure that
your garden receives adequate irrigation at the right time of
day. Motion and occupancy sensors can activate heat and lighting
controls as you enter and exit rooms.
When you leave for work in the morning, your house could
“check?for and turn off unnecessary energy consumers such
as radios, TVs, stoves and irons (a nice safety feature). On
your way home, you could use your cell phone or computer to
change the temperature in your home, turn on lights, turn on the
radiant heat in your bathroom floor and fill the bathtub to just
the right level for a nice long soak.
Appliances
From toasters to fridges to picture frames, the possibilities
for networking computerized household appliances are limited
only by your imagination and budget. Your refrigerator can keep
track of food expiration dates and act as a family message
center via a built-in screen. Coffee makers and other small
appliances (such as toasters) can be activated remotely or as
part of a sequence of events. You can even imitate Bill Gates
and install framed electronic artwork that changes depending on
the preference of the person who enters a room, or purchase
Internet-connected picture frames that retrieve images from a
gallery supplied by your friends and family for a constantly
updated family portrait wall.
The key to making your home more comfortable, enjoyable and safe
through home automation is to follow three essential steps:
- Plan: Discuss
automation needs and wants with your family members so you
can plan ahead. Take into consideration your home’s layout
in terms of traffic and furniture.
- Consult: Talk to as
many people as possible to get ideas and learn about their
experiences with home automation; what worked, what
didn’t, what do they wish they had done differently?
- Decide: What do you
definitely want to be able to do? What is optional? Will you
install the network yourself or leave it to a professional?
What kind of network and what types of technology best suit
your needs? Home automation, from security systems to
intelligent appliances, is becoming an accessible reality.
With some careful planning and a little help, you too can
enjoy the benefits of a “smart?home.
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