| Introduction to Smart-Home Technology |
From "Home Tech"
episode HTC-104 |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
Did you ever see one of those sci-fi movies set in the future where everything in the home is automated? Lights turn themselves off and on at the appropriate times, the coffee brews itself promptly at 6:55 every morning, the refrigerator compiles the grocery list for you, and the indoor temperature adjusts itself when no one is home. In fact, that scenario is no longer science fiction. As computers in the home become more commonplace, and as residences get wired for internal networking, the opportunities to let computers and programmable electronic devices handle household tasks have already begun to take shape. DIY's Home Technology workshop looks at some of the ways that you can raise the I.Q. of your home and let electronics handle some of those mundane household tasks.
The Concept of Smart-Home Technology In contemporary society, technology surrounds us. There are computers -- or at least computer technology -- in our cars, phones, home entertainment systems, and even kitchen appliances. Smart-Home technology takes advantage of existing electronics in conjunction with some specialized software to create an intelligent network in your home. With the right computer programs and the necessary wiring, your PC could become the "brain" of your home, activating and orchestrating activities throughout the house via a nervous system of cables and devices that are linked together. It's not as difficult or far-fetched as you might think. In fact, there are already a number of systems that are commercially available to help achieve this. The systems come in varying degrees of sophistication and with a range of price tags. Some systems are more advanced and require professional installation, while others are more do-it-yourself oriented. The objectives behind smart-home technology is to make your home safer, help conserve energy and help make your life more enjoyable by automating and simplifying routine activities. The growing trend of home automation typically involves controlling lights and temperature in any room of the house through remote control, computers or a system of timers or sensors. Smart-home technology integrates these activities and can also take care of things like disarming your security system and opening your garage door when you return home. The more elaborate systems utilize the home PC as the hub for smart-home control, taking the personal computer a leap beyond its more typical uses such as word-processing and budgeting to governing and controlling actual activities in the home. Smart-home software incorporates easy-to-understand interfaces that divide the house into zones and enable you to set up schedules and control household activities on a daily or weekly basis (figure A). The key to a successful smart-home installation lies in forethought and advance planning. "Think through what you want to automate, then research the products." says Phil Kastelic, CEO of Homesync. "Think about the products in terms of long-term value, not just the initial price." Before purchasing any equipment or software, take a walk through your home and make a list of things you'd like to control through automation. Do you want to control only a few simple automated tasks like turning lights on and off, or are you interested in installing a computer network that facilitates control of multiple systems? Decisions like these will determine your budget and whether you can install the system yourself or will need to hire professionals.
Simple Remote Control Simplified systems geared toward do-it-yourself installation are generally less expensive, and may be somewhat limited in scope. Some, for instance, are based on simple remote-control transmitter and receiving units. To install these types of systems, simply plug the receiving module (figure B) into an electrical outlet near the device you want to control -- an electric lamp, for example. Then plug the electrical device into the module. The receiving unit has numbered dials that allow you to select a particular setting. The control transmitter (figure C) is then used to control individual modules independently by sending an inaudible signal to individual modules using numbered buttons that correspond with the numbers you've set on the modules. So, for example, with the receiving modules connected to several lamps throughout your home, you could turn lights on and off individually in various rooms in the house from a single location, using the control unit. With this simple system, installation requires little more than plugging in the modules (figure D), and then plugging lamps into them. These simple systems are fairly popular because they are inexpensive and easy to install, but they are obviously limited in their sophistication. In some cases, price may be an indicator of the level of performance and lifespan of a system such as this.
RESOURCES :
Home Sync
Home Sync
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Phone: 303-406-6906
Website: www.gohomesync.com
smarthome.com
Web site: www.smarthome.com
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
