All You need to know about Home Automation

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Do you want to know? how to save time, electricity and want to make money out of this emerging market of $126 Billion. Then you should know the basic concept, related mainstream products, and issues concerning this technology. This article will make you understand what is home automation? and also bring new terminologies that will help you explore more in this field.

What is Home Automation?

Home Automation is a smart system that controls or monitors, commonly used electrical devices and their functions that are typical in every home such as lighting, room temperature, entertainment devices, appliances, security, and safety alarms, and cameras, with the help of remote control or one-touch connection through the internet or via any other software.

How does Home Automation work?

Home Automation works through an arrangement of internet gadgets that are associated with the Web through diverse communication protocols which are any one or combination of these, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and others. Through electronic interfacing, the devices can be overseen remotely through controllers or over smartphones and can be controlled via a voice assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant or an app. Numerous of these IoT devices have sensors that record changes in movement, temperature, or light so the end-user can pick up data about the device’s environment and instruct other devices to control or take action.

Home Automation Devices functionality is based on three steps

Sensing / Monitoring
Analyzing / Processing
Controlling / Action

1. Sensing / Monitoring

In this process, the device that is being used in a system, senses, and monitors as per their ability like, humidity/temperature device senses room temperature and humidity, etc depends on the device features. It keeps records as well for further analysis which is the second step in the functionality of these devices.

2. Analyzing / Processing

After the sensing step, the devices analyze the recorded data and process it as per the task assigned into its system/program. It keeps track of limits, alarm points, and any abnormal data received during the sensing step. It also compares sensed data with the desired output. Once processing has been completed, it proceeds to its last step of controlling / action.

3. Controlling / Action

The device takes necessary action on processed data/information in the form of alarm annunciation or by sending a signal to another device(s) or it may change its state to receive more new fresh sensing information all on its own. All control actions depend on the processing of sensed information and also on the end-user given pre-set input(s) to the device.

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The framework of Home Automation System

Suppose a house is based on a system that is comprised of the following devices that are integrated with each other and that track live data for the better quality lifestyle and energy saving. In each of these nine systems, you will get to know how it’s being used in integrated Home Automation and it will also give you an idea for home installation or academic project selection.

Smart Phone
Security Cameras
Temperature Control Sensor / Thermostate
Smart electricity control system
Automatic Garage door
Smart TV
Water detection system
Fire Alarm System
Voice detection system

1. Smart Phone

Life is incomplete without smartphones. So home automation has taken crucial support of smartphones to integrate all automation devices to be in touch with end-users. It is the main component of the Home Automation system.

2. Security Cameras

Your security cameras continuously monitor and record videos of your house designated areas, some smart cameras also alert you over your smartphone and may send you, alert photos utilizing image processing, where ever you are present. So you always remain in touch with your house activities even if you are not at home. In this way, your security camera system serves perfectly as a burglary alarm system as well.

3. Temperature Control Sensor / Thermostate

This device keeps measuring your room’s temperature and humidity and sends signals to your home Air Conditioning and Ventilation system to control it as per your desired temperature and humidity. If you have already set a low-temperature setpoint, suppose 20-degree Centigrade then in case of hot weather this sensor will send a signal to your ventilation system and try to cool down and reach to 20-degree centigrade for your room temperature. It can also keep sending you notifications on your phone regarding temperature updates.

4. Smart Electricity Control System

The smart electricity control system continuously measures your electricity usage and prepares its own internal reports. Based on these reports it can suggest you which appliance(s) is/are consuming more energy as per past records. The system not only measures electricity usage but also optimizes your home appliances like lights, fans, TV, etc. it will check whether any of the appliances are being used unnecessarily or not. Such as switching of Fan or Light in the room where nobody is present in the room, so the sensor will detect the presence of people and reacts accordingly.

5. Automatic Garage Door

The automatic Garge door, allows you to open and close the door without any effort of coming out of your car and lifting up the garage door. For more secure operation this automatic door detect your car, confirms its registration number then lifts up the door and allows your car to enter. This system also informs you in case it was not your car or someone else manually attempted to open it by just notifying you over the smartphone. However, it is a very simple garage door but still, the home automation system can make it more super smart the way you use it.

6. Smart TV

The Technology of Smart TV is also important equipment in the contribution to make a complete home automation system. Smart TV suggests channels of your interest, you can connect your TV with a computer screen, direct access to Youtube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. It also serves as the main monitoring screen for your complete home automation system and you can access all device details and health or notifications over it.

7. Water Detection System

This System allows your underground and overhead water tanks to keep you updated on its level limits well before any water shortage or over spilling may be faced by you. This will not only notify you of its levels but also it will take smart action to fill or stop supplying and storage motors. If the level is low it will automatically start a suction pump to fill the house tank and stop it when the level reaches its maximum storage capacity. Similarly, there are some other features as well like usage of water with respect to the previous months or days, whatsoever you have assigned in report settings. This will also help you take action and notify you if there is severe water loss or leakage at any faucet/tap or water pipe.

8. Fire Alarm System

As its name suggests, this system will keep track of any smoke whether it’s dangerous or not it will notify you and will take action as well to suppress the source of smoke by CO2 gases or other chemical powder. It will help to save your house from a big fire. This also comes with heat detectors, some time smoke comes later after a significant rise in heat so it will give a proactive feature to take action well before there is an unfortunate fire.

9. Voice Detection System

This amazing feature of home automation has given a real-life feeling to it. It feels like you are interacting with some living being and not a machine or robot. It will make life easier to set up multiple devices just by audio instructions. There will make centralized voice detecting and responding system that will interpret your audio instructions and make settings to other devices as per your instructions. The system will solely work over known voices that belong to your home and not on any stranger’s voice.

Is Home Automation Safe or Unsafe?

When the Wright brothers first invented the motor-operated airplane at that time also people must have said: “it’s not safe to travel in this machine it’s too risky”. When Uber, Curb, or Careem taxi services introduced their idea, it was badly backlashed with the opinion of “unsafe” to travel in someone else car which is not a conventional taxi and it was thought as well that, who will get registered their own car in taxi service for the public use. But always remember constructive criticism is always good to lead value innovation of a product. Similar is the case here for Home automated houses. What are the safety and security measures? that need to be considered and understood properly before installing a home automation system are as follows. After reading these five points you will decide yourself that it is safe or unsafe.

1. Wireless Devices Protection Layers

2. Privacy Policy of Devices

3. Update of old versions

4. Password Protection

5. Account logins practice

1.Wireless Devices Protection Layer

One of the main mediums for affecting your home automation devices is wireless access. So those devices that are wired with your home internet (ISP) are less prone to be attacked or disturbed by outside interference. Hence special attention needs to be given to all those devices that are wirelessly connected to your ISP.

Keep firewall protection on your main internet router that is receiving internet service.
Keep two or more different wifi networks from your single router that separate your mobiles & computers with home automation devices.
Disable guest network access and if required keep it with permission access
Set one port for all wireless devices and disable all unused ports.

For more information about Wireless Device Protection, see the finest resource available at Internet Advisor

Also Read The Practicality Of Home Automation Without Internet.

2. Privacy Policy of Devices

It is mandatory that before purchasing any home automation device always look for privacy policy in detail and explicitly ask your vendor to clarify every point which is not clear to you. Do not compromise your personal mobile and computer confidential data to be used by the device for the sake of precise performance of the gadgets. Just make sure it is only accessing the required data and not sharing your personal information with vendors or advertising companies. It’s better to always opt renowned brands instead of saving money and selecting very low-cost devices.

3.Update of old Version

It is not a good idea to avoid software updates on your devices, this may cause serious issues not in terms of security but also in terms of performance. You will start blaming the device for not working properly and not looking into the cause of old version of its software. Always keep track of notifications regarding software updates this may help you carefree on many issues that could possibly happen when you don’t update it on time. Sometimes vendors are sending strong protection updates with the new version that may also help you safe from hackers.

4.Password Protection

One of the most important and first thing to do in order to protect your device from any misuse is to set up your device access with a strong password and don’t forget to note it down somewhere in the diary instead of keeping it saved on any mobile device or any other wireless device. All home automation devices come with default passwords so make sure you have already changed the password to a strong one.

5. Avoid Credential Logins

This latest technology made all of us so lazy. We prefer just to click buy and go instead of keeping our banks and credit cards credential info safe. These home automation gadgets will let you login credentials in case of buying a renewal of a subscription or pay bills on your behalf. Try to avoid these features and always make manual payments to your bills via one common smartphone and transfer with little effort but safe in all manners.

Best Home Automation near my place

Before I share with you Home Automation services and products outlet near your place, I would like to tell you four leading home automation services and producers in the world so that you may compare your home-based company and world best company

Google NEST
Amazon
Apple Homekit
Samsung

Home Automation in United States of America

Home Automation in United Kingdom

Home Automation in Canada

Home Automation in Australia

Home Automation in India

Home Automation in Pakistan

Conclusion

The worth of the home automation market and its usage is inevitable. This domain is growing rapidly and has the capacity to make more penetration in every walk of life. Although its functionality is complex in processing and decision making still its benefits are unmatchable. It has made everyone’s life easy and productive. Keeping in view all related threats and opportunities, this article explained well in detail the handling of safety aspects associated with the Home automation systems. I have also shared some of the Smart home outlets near your region so that you can give them a try. For any related topic you want me to cover more in detail please share your ideas in the comments.