What is a Smart Home System?
Smart homes, a term coined in 1984 by American Association of Home Builders, are basically residences that are empowered through domestic (home) automation, also known as domotics. They use multiple interconnected devices that enable real-time, remote monitoring, home automation systems and appliances management, such as lighting, heating, entertainment etc. These systems ensure comfort, convenience and safer homes, in addition, they also limit energy dispensed by controlling smart devices like automated instant coffee maker, smart cooking aids, thermostats, smart shower and more through smartphone apps etc.
Smart home systems came into play with the introduction of communication protocol for home automation systems called X10 in 1975. It sends digital information and commands related to a common home’s wiring to corresponding programmable switches/devices at 120 kHz radio frequency. Insteon, a home automation company, combined electric wiring with wireless signals in 2005. The first smart TVs were released in 2007, and Nest Learning smart thermostat, now a subsidiary of Google, found its way into markets in 2011. Smart security cameras and carbon monoxide detectors were introduced in the same year, while in 2014, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Apple HomeKit shaped a giant leap in voice command-enabled smart home devices. By 2018, Google Nest, Google Home, HomePod, Sonos reached the markets.
A Statista report suggests that the smart home solutions market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.67% and reach a market volume of US $231.6 billion by 2028 from US $154.4 billion in 2024.
How does Smart Home Automation Work?
Smart home automation includes devices connected through internet or wireless radio signals. Home automation systems run on various sensors and activation devices that constitute the Internet of Things. The devices are connected to a central hub or gateway which acts as the main controller. This hardware device can sense, process data, communicate with all devices wirelessly, follow schedules and respond to voice commands. The hub interface can be integrated as wall-mounted terminals, smart phone applications, computer software, tablet applications, or a website interface accessible through the internet etc., for example, Amazon Echo, Wink Hub etc.
With the help of home or building automation system, devices’ actions can be automated based on homeowners’ preferences, as they operate together while sharing consumer usage data. All separate apps used for controlling respective devices can be combined into a single smart home application developed by mobile or web application development services providers for remotely controlling their actions. All smart products connect to the smart home network via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, as mentioned earlier, while some depend on wireless protocols like Z-Wave etc.
Simplified Smart Home Automation lighting systems circuit diagram
There are numerous algorithms involved that make smart homes efficient and secure, such as:
- Data Processing: Sensors form the fundamental basis of smart home solutions. They are equipped with motion sensors, light sensors, thermal sensors etc. Data processing algorithms derive useful insights into the occupants’ activities and preferences from all such sensor data.
- Machine Learning: It is used in addition to sensors to assure preventive measures and provide alerts on occupancy detection, intrusion, anomaly detection, high energy usage, equipment failures, predictive maintenance, as well as focus on personalized automation by learning historical data patterns and AI pattern recognition.
- Natural Language Processing: Mainly, these algorithms enable users to provide voice-controlling options for smart home solutions or devices by processing NLP commands from users and converting them into actionable tasks for the devices.
- Recommendation & Optimization: This algorithm suggests settings for personalized automation as per user behavior, preferences, historical data of usage patterns and intelligent video analytics. Optimization algorithms minimize energy consumption by scheduling appliances, while keeping in mind the users’ comfort.
- Localization & Security: Various security enforcing algorithms ensure that data encryption, authentication mechanism, device privacy, and intrusion detection are at par. Localization and mapping of occupants is another important algorithm that enable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth-based indoor positioning home automation systems and virtual map creation of the home for navigation and automation, for example, cobots like Roomba.
- Fuzzy Logic: In cases where input and output do not have specific numerical values and portray imprecise and uncertain data, fuzzy logic is used for decision-making in home automation systems for human-like reasoning. This is empowered by reinforcement learning that optimizes automation as per feedback received from environment.
The above image shows working of building automation system
Types of Home Automation Systems
Right from smart doorbells to light bulbs, smart homes have grown in popularity across the globe, so much so that it is estimated that about 57% of households in United States would experience some form of smart home automation by 2025. Technology has penetrated nearly every aspect of domestic space and plethora of smart home alternatives; the following include some of them:
Smart Lighting Systems
Customized lighting that can be controlled remotely, detect occupants in the environment and adjust lighting as per requirement automatically. This is especially useful for people with hearing disabilities. It also includes smart bulbs that adjust to daylight availability, that are not just limited to home automation, but in smart cities as well, for example, Dortmund’s Golden Mile Project, Philips smart lights etc.
Smart Thermostats
Temperature controlling smart home systems like Google Nest function based on integrated Wi-Fi. Users can easily schedule and remotely control home temperature. They learn user behavior, modify settings for maximum comfort and efficiency, and report energy usage for changing filters.
Smart Security
Smart home residents can monitor the premises even when they are not home with smart doorbells like Ring, and security cameras. Smart motion sensors can differentiate between visitors, burglars, homeowners and generate alerts on suspicious activity using computer vision object detection and similar algorithms. They can also notify regarding power surge, water failures, freezing pipes etc.
Smart Kitchen
Various kitchen appliances have now been made smart such as smart refrigerators that makes shopping lists, provides recipes, tracks expiry dates like LG, smart coffee maker that brews at a programmed time, smart washing machines, smart gas, smart dryers, smart toasters, smart cookers, smart ovens, smart trash cans etc.
The above image shows various smart home solutions and appliances
Others
Other home automation systems may include smart door locks and garage door openers that assist homeowners in automatically unlocking doors for themselves and restricting visitor entry. Smart TVs have become an eminent part of everyday lives to access on-demand media content with voice and gesture recognition via the internet. Smart collars and bands can track pets’ location, smart feeders can automatically feed them in a timely manner and smart baby monitors. Connected timers can be used for watering lawns and plants. Then there are smart plugs that connect to electrical sockets on walls and transform simple devices like ceiling fans and bulbs for remotely controlling by Android application development and assistants like Alexa etc.
Benefits of Smart Home Solutions
1. Higher Efficiency: Smart home system learns residents’ behaviors by using a type of supervised learning, for example, it maintains ambient temperature without the need for continuous supervision or improper device usage that may cause damage.
2. Improved Savings: Users benefit from monetary and resource-based savings, for example, a smart lawn watering device turns off automatically when it senses the necessary amount of water and energy has been dispensed.
3. Task Management: Smart assistants that feature voice commands and speech recognition, have made managing tasks very efficient, for example, homeowners can surf the web and control devices with simple action words.
4. Provides Assurance: Homeowners can remotely monitor homes and counter risky situations, remotely monitor the well-being of the elderly, and get welcomed with accommodated user preferences such as automated garage door and ambient lighting etc.
Let Us Set Up Smart Homes for You
Smart home system development is picking up pace across the globe. Its future holds promise with technologies like 5G, augmented and virtual reality, robotic assistants, blockchain, energy harvesting, edge computing, biometric authentication, advanced sensors and integration of artificial intelligence. The day is not far when functioning of every component of a smart home would be automated and the lives of its residents would be made comfortable to the highest possible extent.
KritiKal Solutions has helped various SMBs and Fortune500 companies in developing custom software solutions in Dallas, optimizing their energy utilization, building smart homes and appliances, IoT-based water management and emergency lighting systems, and many more. Let us help you gain a competitive edge. Please mail us at sales@kritikalsolutions.com to avail our services.
Mayank Kothari holds the position of Senior Embedded Engineer at KritiKal Solutions. He is an experienced Electrical Design Engineer with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer electronics industry. He is proficiently skilled in Matlab, C++, Power Electronics Design, and Embedded Systems with which he has helped KritiKal in delivering many successful projects to some major clients.