Mobile apps, Temperature, Music, and Hot Tubs

Home automation systems are enhancing the convenience, safety, comfort, and energy efficiency of a growing number of homes around the world. Smart homes were once just for the rich, but now integrated home automation systems are starting to appeal to regular consumers.

These smart homes can interact intelligently with their inhibitors and allow from control of ambient temperature to context-aware and mobile agent based services. A top level architecture of a smart home is illustrated in  figure below (Al-Qutayri & Jeedella, 2010) below and includes a server/gateway/router and smart sensors as well as appliances that have either wired or wireless connectivity. Communicating with the smart home from the outside can also be done using one through the use of phone lines, xDSL lines, cable TV, GSM and power line networks.

Through the use of mobile apps you are able to control audio/video internet devices, media (services like Hulu, Pandora, Rhapsody, Last.fm and more), lighting system, climate, window shades, doors, entryways, surveillance cameras and even the pool.

These systems allow you to create a specific atmosphere in your smart home, with the push of a button. As you walk through the door, open the smart home mobile app on your iPhone or Android phone and just press “Home” button to notify the system you arrived and all of a sudden specific lights in the house are turned on, the temperature is set, your favorite music starts to play and jets to your hot tub are activated to prepare a perfect relaxation for you.

Smart thermostats, window shades or blinds are working together to improve energy efficiency and decrease the demands of the heating and cooling systems. You can close the blinds in your bedroom while opening the shades in the kitchen or set them to be closed the midday sun to keep the interior cool and save energy.

Automated lighting control integrates with motion sensors to dim or turn off lights when a room is unoccupied or set specific lights to go on at sunset and off at daybreak. One single touch on your smartphone can a “Goodnight” setup to deactivate all interior lights as exterior lights are turned on.

Automated home systems are allowing you to monitor and control the safety and security of your home right from your smartphone or tablet. At home or away, with a single press of button you can activate motion sensors and security cameras, power up night lights, close every blind, or lock all doors. The system can also sense when you are parking your car and automatically open lights in your driveway.

Through the use of mobile apps you’ll be able to keep an eye on each and every aspect of electricity usage, from appliances to heating and lighting, and checkout your entire electricity usage or production at home or remotely.

These systems also come in handy for older people. In US it is estimated that by 2050 the largest age group among women will be 80 plus, so through the use of technology, it will be provided assistance for many cognitive or physical limitations. These solutions used to be expensive but prices are going down as these technologies become mass products, some providers you can checkout are Savant and TWC IntelligentHome.