A Guide to Home Automation

Home automation is not a new concept and certainly not something only found in science fiction. With technological advancements, newer and more robust systems have been produced to carry out different tasks ranging from controlling the temperature of a refrigerator to automating the security system of a house.

What is Home Automation?

Home automation involves the automatic controlling of different routine activities of the house using certain sets of hardware and software. For instance, a lighting system that turns on as soon as someone enters the room is one of many possible home automation systems. Similarly, a security system that detects intrusion in the house is also a home automation system. Other appliances that can be controlled using home automation system include home theaters, phones, air conditioners, garden sprinklers, and so on.

Home automation is the electrical functionality of a home provided by a control system. Systems controlled by home automation include the lighting and mechanical systems. One type of home automation is called assistive domotics, the focus of which is to increase the functionality of a home for the disabled or the elderly as an alternative to a nursing home or health care facility. Many of the tools in assistive domotics systems are quite simple and may enable health care professionals to monitor individuals in their homes. Through the use of alerts that automatically send messages to health care professionals when changes occur in the health or home of a patient, the elderly and the disabled can live on their own without the worry of being unable to get help if needed. Reminder systems can also benefit the elderly and disabled. Through the use of an intercom and the Internet messages can be played throughout the house to remind patients of appointments, to take medications, and even things like turning off the stove and locking the doors. Additionally systems exist that can dispense the specific medications a person is meant to take at the time they should take it. An additional feature of a medication dispensing automation system may be a lock on all the medication except the dose for that time. This is particularly useful for individuals with Alzheimers disease.

Home robots are increasingly gaining popularity. With robotic vacuum cleaners available commercially domestic robots are becoming less rare. Other domestic robots include robotic lawn mowers, robotic mops, serving robots, a robotic iron, and even robotic litter boxes for cats.

Benefits of Home Automation

There are many benefits to home automation systems. These benefits tend to be convenient and save time by limiting the need to manually control many of the features and chores associated with the home. By automating many of the activities you would normally need to do manually you can save a little, or a lot of time depending on the activity. Home automation systems have included many daily chores like sweeping, mopping, cleaning the litter box, and more. Most people have the basics of home automation already available in their homes. A washing machine, a dishwasher, a TV remote control, and water heaters are all examples of home automation present in most houses. When planning a home automation system it is important to weigh the time savings against the overall cost of implementation and upkeep.

Home automation systems which automatically adjust temperature and lighting can help to reduce energy consumption. A room controlled to automatically turn lights off after a certain amount of time when no one is in a room and timers set to air and heating systems so that unnecessary energy isnt dispensed when no one is home are both beneficial ways to lower your energy use.

In 2003 The University of Florida created a fully automated home for "Matilda", a frail and elderly woman with the onset of Alzheimers living in a house alone. While Matilda isnt truly the 85 year old woman the house was built for and is in fact a mannequin dressed to look like one, the automated home makes living by herself quite simple. The smart house is fully furnished and located on the fourth-floor of the UF computer laboratory in the computer science engineering building. Some of the smart home devices belonging to Matilda include a sensor that always knows where in the house she is, a microwave that knows exactly how long to cook her food by recognizing the entrees placed in it, a cell phone alert when water leaks onto the floor, and a televised visual of each visitor to approach the door on the tv closest to where Matilda is currently situated. If she wishes to let the visitor into her home, she need use nothing more than her cell phone which will transmit a code to the electronic door latch. With all these assistive technologies and more, the life expectancy of aging individuals who make use of them compared to those who dont is significantly longer.

Hardware for Home Automation Systems

A home automation system requires both hardware and software to operate. The hardware used in such systems includes sensors, controls,and actuators. Sensors are used to measure and send information. For instance a lamp that can dim or brighten with only a touch is controlled by a touch sensitive sensor. Controllers like programmable logic controllers are used to control machinery in things like lighting fixtures. Actuators are devices used to move or control a system or mechanism by converting energy into motion. If you wish to create interconnecting system the use of wires and/or infrared or radio frequencies are required.

Home Automation Tasks

Some of the common tasks that can be operated using a home automation system include programming the security system to send an alert through phone or email, scheduling tasks such as watering the garden, accessing surveillance cameras both inside and outside the house, opening doors, windows and other automatic exits/entries to your home, and so on. The idea behind such a system is not only to automate routine tasks but also to control them even when you are not at home.

Resources for More Information

What is Domotics?: World Wide Words provides an overview on home automation, also known as domotics.
Home Automation Resources: A list of links related to home automation provided by Custom Automation Technologies Inc. The page lists home automation systems installed successfully by different people.
Benefits of Home Automation: An article by Digital Home listing the benefits of home automation in terms of energy saving and convenience.
How Does Home Automation Benefit?: An article by The Wired Solution showing how home automation solves different problems around the house.
What You Need to Know: An article on Gizmodo briefly describing common tasks done by an automation system. This is a great short guide for those people who are interested in home automation.
Home Control and Automation Systems: Kansas Electronic Security Association provides a comprehensive guide to home automation. It briefly explains everything from the home control.
DIY Home Automation: The website provides information about wiring, electronics, and connectors related to installation of home automation systems. It also contains a section on projects that you can try at home.
Home Automation: The Australian Government presents the benefits of home automation covering such topics like heating & cooling, hot water, lights, appliances & equipment, automation equipment, sensors, and controls.
University of Florida Smart Home: This smart home is the full time residence of Matilda the mannequin and is an example of how home automation can improve the daily life of those with special needs.