Home automation means the power to control devices and home appliances like Air Conditioners, Ceiling Fans, Music system etc with the help of a smartphone or voice command. There are many home automation frameworks such as Bluetooth, Cloud-based services, Frequency-based services, and SMS that integrate with the Internet and help with the execution of orders given by you.
Home automation works by connecting various appliances in a house through which you can control features such as computerized lighting system, set the temperature using a smart thermostat, play music via Spotify, and keep the house secure with surveillance cameras. Many home devices such as a fridge, washing machine, coffee machine, and television can also be controlled with home automation. A high-speed Wi-Fi connection is a key source to check and control the automation.
Smart homes include an omnipresent computing system that integrates with the home devices for safety, security, saving energy, and of course, comfort. The earliest home automation began with labor-saving home appliances such as water heaters, washers, refrigerators, dishwashers, and sewing machines. These appliances were either gas powered or through electric power distribution.
The three generations of home automation:
First generation: Remote innovation with the intermediary server, e.g., ZigBee robotization.
Second generation: Artificial brain power controls electrical devices, e.g., Amazon Echo.
Third generation: Robot buddy who associates with human, e.g., Robot Rovio and Roomba.
Home automation enhances safety mechanisms and traditional security by making use of access control and intelligent monitoring.
Home Automation in the Past
Home automation began with the invention of machines, starting from home appliances. At the end of the nineteenth century, the automation of devices exhibited a direct connection with the electrically-wired machinery. The ability to lighten a dark room with the help of a bulb from a switch transformed the way people lived. The progress led to the invention of the TV in 1950, and later the remote control.
One technology that is integral to home automation, and is a crucial part of today’s homes, making it possible for consumers to control devices and systems, is the internet. The first documented use of the word internet was in the year 1974 by Carl Sunshine. It was an abbreviation for the term “internetworking,” which is a procedure to connect multiple networks to share data. The internet has transformed the way humans communicate with each other and several machines.
Let’s take a look at how home technology transformed over the years-
1901-1920: The invention of home appliances such as dishwashers, refrigerators, irons, the washing machine, and toaster.
1966-1967: The invention of Kitchen Computer and ECHO IV. The ECHO IV was a great device even though it wasn’t industrially sound. It could record shopping lists, turn devices on and off, and control the room temperature. In the case of Kitchen Computer, the device was well-equipped to calculate formulas, but it didn’t sell well due to poor advertising.
2000’s: This era came with more brilliant home automation devices such as local technology and home management system, and many other devices. Zen-Sys created one such technology in 2005, which was a wireless technique to send signals at 900 MHz spectrum. The technology was good enough to connect various devices to control door locks, home appliances, and security cameras.
Home Automation at Present
The Internet of Things (IoT) has empowered lives and reinvented the way people live. Home appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, and home security can now be controlled with smart homes. The home automation incorporates remote control, controlling machines, computerized lights, playing music, robotized regulators, etc. Motion sensors are the ears and eyes of a smart home, and these sensors are of great use to measure fluid, gas, and temperature.
For example, products like EcoBee and Nest Smart Thermostat are receiving accolades for combining an old thermostat with smart electronic technology and algorithms to ensure a thorough mechanism for temperature control. The multiple sensors of a smart programmable thermostat can be placed in different parts of the house, and the main device is programmed with the help of a smartphone application or hard switches to control the temperature of each region as per your need.
Monitoring and controlling the house with a smartphone can be fun, and you can adjust everything at the touch of a screen without having to move an inch.
Home Automation in Future
Future smart homes will offer every service imaginable like medical, communication, energy, entertainment, security, and utility. As we move forward, many devices will be able to connect to each other seamlessly, and the data communicated between humans and devices will reduce as there would be no need to input anything manually. A computer will be able to automatically execute orders and use the data to work efficiently as home automation. In the future, home automation will become smarter and extend to a large-scale environment.
Home automation devices simplify your home in ways you didn’t even think you needed or wanted. The future aims to increase the production of sensor products such as Febreze Home, which is a wi-fi enabled scent dispenser that allows you make any room smell fresh from your tablet or smartphone. The multi-sensors home automation devices will understand and adjust automatically according to our environment.
To conclude, the days in which humanoid-like robots do our laundry, scrub our floors, and wash our dishes for us are not here yet, but they may not be a long way ahead either. Till then, we have energy-saving and money-saving appliances that our predecessors didn’t have. Soon we will encounter better home automation technology that will take over the world.
Author Bio: Arindam Paul is a founding member of Atomberg Technologies, a startup working towards manufacturing unique energy efficient fans and tech savvy products. He is currently heading the Marketing and Long term strategy division at Atomberg and is aiming to disrupt the world of household appliances.
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