Not since the dawn of the industrial age has technology advanced at the rapid pace we're seeing today. If this isn't obvious, you might not be paying attention! 3D printers are fabricating replacement bones and a million other amazing objects. Electric cars are here, and driverless cars might soon be arriving. The Internet of Things (IoT) gives you the ability to connect to all your devices and connect many of them to one another. It's a smarter world, and our homes are benefiting too.
The IoT is the central nervous system of the smart home, so let's begin there.
The IoT and Wireless Internet
All our devices are built with electronics, software, sensors, actuators and, of course, network connectivity, that gives them the capability to communicate through the transmission and reception of data. They talk to one another through wireless high-speed Internet. They even sometimes do it "behind our back." For example, ever wonder how photos taken with your phone end up on your laptop? The devious devices synced, and the photos were sent without our knowledge or consent!
The language of the Global Standards Initiative on Internet of Things (IoT-GSI) nails it, calling the IoT, "the infrastructure of the information society." That's where it starts; most in the know guess it will never end!
Smart homes work by connecting many devices together, which allows each to act based on information that comes from another:
- As a command – Device A sends a direct prompt to device B
- As a response – Device B is programmed to do Y when device A does X
By the way, the word "programmed" seems a bit over the top when discussing the interaction of smart devices, as if significant technical skill were required. It's more like a click/selection or two, and the command or "if/then" response is triggered.
A smart home needs to transfer a significant amount of data, so the connection also needs to have the high capacity now possible. Fortunately, high speed connections are becoming a standard as of late. From Google Fiber in USA to NBN in Australia, super fast and reliable internet is becoming a reality.
Remote Access and Control of the Smart Home
Some remember the first TV remotes. You can ask your grandmother about it if you don't. Obviously, they meant one could change the channel or the volume without getting off the sofa, a convenience that seemed revolutionary in the 1970s. Few of those folks likely dreamed that one day that kind of remote control would extend across the world, not just across the room. But, here we are just a few decades later.
Intelligence for Your Home and Every Room in It
The most basic benefit that a smart house can offer is remote access, which allows homeowners to control their gadgets from their phones and downloaded apps when they aren't in the room or even at home.
Let's take a virtual tour of your house to sample the smart home possibilities.
Whole home smart technology:
With a wi-fi thermostat, you can set the temperature higher or lower to save energy costs while you're away, and use your smartphone to adjust the temperature to be comfortable when you arrive home. With the phone, you can control the home security system to allow access to the plumber while you're away and turn on lights before arriving home late.
Lights on smart rheostats are easily adjusted for brightness, and some like Philips Hue will even change colors at your command. Window blinds and curtains can be controlled too. These adjustments can be set with a timer or controlled when you want to make them.
Centralized control of the smart home equipment and the larger ecosystem of connected devices is possible with devices like the Wink Hub 2 and software like Apple HomeKit. The next generation appears to be cloud-based IoT platforms such as Samsung SmartHome and Artik and Google Brillo and Weave. You can also control each device separately using its app.
In the kitchen: Automated kitchens have been showing up in science fiction for decades, and they're finally starting to turn into a reality. For example, a crockpot, pressure cooker, rice maker or similar appliance can be plugged into a wi-fi control that plugs into the outlet, which allows the appliance to be controlled remotely. Newer appliances feature built-in wi-fi connectivity that makes it much simpler.
There are smart kitchen devices that track a person's eating habits and nutritional intake. This has the potential to help dieters who have a hard time remembering everything that they eat, and it might also help doctors diagnose eating disorders and other medical problems. Some devices can even help with portion control by warning dieters who have too much on their plate.
In the laundry room: Smart clothes washers and dryers are controlled remotely. Some will even send you a text when the cycle is done, so you can visit a neighbour or sit in the park instead of watching and waiting for the clothes to dry.
In the gym: Athletes like to optimize their workouts. Fitness trackers, heart monitors, route planners and all sorts of other devices have been popular for years, and it's only a small step to connect all those devices. Smart home gym equipment is proving to be among the more popular improvements for people who want smart homes, especially in the United States.
Most of the gyms combine a mix of smart exercise machines with a few accessories. The machines track the athlete's performance as they exercise to offer feedback and provide information to other devices. The accessories provide miscellaneous features, such as managing the room's lights or heating. Many of the ones that track workouts can also keep track of a schedule, which can help people stick to their exercise plan.
Raising your Home's IQ and Reaping the Benefits
You might not have been around when the first TV remotes were introduced, but it's not too late to get in on the first generation of smart home technology. Then, one day you can amaze your grandkids with tales of how dumb houses were "back in the day." Get started today with one or two devices, connect to the IoT and enjoy convenience, cost savings, security and all the fun that comes with higher home intelligence