When most of us think of smart homes, we think of
futuristic houses where we walk in and are greeted by the voice of a computer. "Hello (name). How are you? Are you ready for your dinner?" it might say. We
would respond, "Yes, please heat some soup," and the stove would automatically
turn on. Perhaps a robotic arm would extend from the fridge to pour the soup
you had the day before into a pot for it to be warmed. Meanwhile, you could get
changed from your hard day at work and relax before dinner.
This version of a smart home may never come true. But
thanks to the internet, specifically the Internet of Things, we're closer now
than we have ever been before to having homes that are just as smart if not
smarter than us, meaning smart homes are no longer things of the distant
future.
But if we can't have smart homes that talk to us and do
things for us, then what does a smart home look like in 2019? What tech
solutions are available to us that we can use to make smarter homes? And what
does it even mean to have a smart home? As you could probably guess, a lot of
it has to do with WiFi and Bluetooth, but a lot of the smart home options we
have today are merely updated versions of technologies that have been around
for a while.
Early Smart
Home Technology
The first example of smart home technology was actually
released to the general public way back in 1975. It was called the X10 system,
and all it did was connect the many different appliances in your home and use
electrical signals to help them communicate with one another. For example, you
could set it up so that when a light was turned off in a room, the light in the
hallway would go off. Another application was to connect the garage door opener
to the lights so that when it opened as you got home, some lights would turn
on, and they would go off again when you left.
The smart home technology we have today builds off the same concept, but instead of using a plugin device to help appliances communicate with one another, smart homes are controlled through your phone. Devices and appliances are outfitted with WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities, and this allows you to control them more than we ever thought was possible. However, while smart home technology is growing, there is still some resistance, although this is likely to change in the near future. Consider these stats from Clutch:
To help you decide how to make your home smarter, here are
19 ways the internet has helped make our homes more intelligent.
Smart Homes
in 2019
These stats suggest that the smart home market is not growing as quickly as we might have thought. But we should be careful about making such a conclusion. Here are some stats that indicate the smart home market is poised for growth:
How the Internet is Making Our Homes Smarter
Lights
Perhaps one of the simplest ways the internet has made our homes smarter is by allowing us to control the lights better. By using smart light switches and fixtures, we can easily control the lights in our homes using our phones. You can set things up so that certain lights go on and off at certain times (great if you're going to be away or if you tend to come home from work after the sun has gone down), or you can control lights from far away.
So, if you get on the plane to leave for vacation and you
realize you left all the lights on, all you need to do is check your phone. If
it says something is on, you can switch it off, helping you save power and also
give the impression that someone is home.
In addition to smart light switches, you can also get
smart light bulbs that will change brightness automatically depending on the
time of day, the amount of light in the room at the time, as well as your
personal preferences. In short, smart lighting means you may never need to flick
a light switch again.
Cameras
Installing cameras in your home is nothing new, but the
internet has certainly made them more effective. Smart cameras will turn on
when they sense motion, and then they will send an alert right to your phone to
notify you something is up. You will then be able to tap into the feed and
watch live what's happening at your home. If it's something serious, such as a
break-in, you will then be able to immediately contact the authorities. If it's
not something serious, then you can dismiss the notification and monitor the
situation as you see fit.
You can also program cameras to recognize you and/or your
car. This way, your home can detect when you're walking or driving home, and
you can set your devices to react accordingly. For example, you could have some
lights turn on or even set some music so that you can enter your home exactly
as you want to.
Security
We all want to feel safe and secure in our homes, and
alarm systems have been helping us do that for some time. However, the internet
has made our security systems smarter, which makes our homes even more secure.
For example, you can connect your phone, lights, and alarm into one system so
that when there is an emergency, such as an intruder, your home instantly
lights up and the authorities are alerted. This, plus the sound of the alarm,
should be enough to scare anyone away from trying to do you harm or steal your
belongings.
Health and
Safety
Similar to security, our homes can now help us stay
healthy and safe. For example, if you have a heart condition, you can wear a
device that communicates to other devices in your home. This way, if something
happens and you need help, your home can call emergency services for you, which
will save you time and potentially your life. This can also come in handy if
you fall.
Your home can detect when there is a fire and alert
emergency services, light the path to safety, and if you have a sprinkler
system, activate it so that you can start dealing with the situation right
away.
Sound
The internet has given us many more options to make our
homes smarter with sound. The simplest example is wireless speakers, such as
those offered by Sonos. These can be set up all around your home and they
connect to your device via Bluetooth. Then, as you walk around the house, the
speakers will pick up on the signal and the one that is closest to you will
turn on. This way, if you're listening to a great album or a podcast, you won't
lose your spot because you quickly had to run upstairs.
Also, many speakers are now equipped with voice control,
meaning you can change the song, turn the volume up and down, and turn the
speakers on or off by doing nothing more than speaking.
Doorbells
Doorbells probably aren't the first thing that comes to
your mind when you think of smart homes, but the technology has come a long
way. Essentially, they have been equipped with cameras and WiFi so that they
can sense motion and so that you can see who is at the door before they ring.
This provides you with an added level of security - you'll be able to see when
someone is trying to get into your home - and it can also save you time.
For example, if the FedEx driver rings to let you know you
have a package, you can look at your phone and know that you don't need to get
up right at that second if you don't want to. It's also possible to talk to
people at the door with your smart doorbell so that you can give them
directions about where to leave the package. Or, if you don't get a good
feeling from the person at your door, you can tell then you've called the
police so that they'll leave.
Energy
Consumption
One cool thing the internet now allows us to do is to
track our energy consumption. You can buy devices that tap into your
electricity, gas, oil, etc. and read how much you're using. They will provide
you with daily, weekly, and monthly reports, as well as some insights to let
you know how you could be saving. For example, it might pick up on the fact
that you're leaving lights on too long in the morning, or not turning them off early
enough at night, which is causing an uptick in your consumption. These things
might seem small, but they add up, and a smart home picks up on them and helps
you bring your consumption (and expenses) down to a minimum.
Thermostats
Programmable thermostats have been around for a while and
they are incredibly useful. They allow you to set the maximum and minimum
temperatures for your home so that you can maintain how hot or cold it is.
Smart thermostats do the same thing, but they take things one step further. For
example, they can read and analyze how you adjust the temperature to help you
find the optimal level, and they can also help adjust the temperatures in
different rooms.
Furthermore, you can adjust them from afar, or you can
program them to adapt to changing conditions using your phone. So, when there
is a hotter than expected day, you don't need to worry about coming home to a
stuffy house. The thermostat will adjust and pump the air so that your home can
be the cool sanctuary you've always wanted it to
This is also great for pet owners as you can adjust the
temperature to make sure your furry friend is comfortable throughout the day.
We've all heard horror stories of animals being trapped in excessively hot
areas and smart homes are making it easier for us to avoid these tragedies.
Water
Water is quickly becoming the world's most valuable
resource. We all must do our part to make sure we're keeping consumption to a
minimum. Plus, wasting water wastes money. There are devices out there that you
can hook up to your pipes that not only measure your water consumption so that
you can seek ways to reduce but that will also detect when there is a leaky
pipe or a faucet left running. They can then be set to shut off your water so
that this waste stops and you can save money and our most precious liquid.
Locks and
Doors
You wouldn't think locks and doors could get high-tech,
but in the digital world we live in, nothing is off-limits. These work pretty
much as you would expect them to; they are locks that you can control either
with a key or with your smartphone. However, what makes these locks cool is
that they can "think."
For example, some smart locks will detect when your phone
is in range and automatically unlock so that you don't need to fumble with your
keys. Garage doors can be programmed to do the same thing, meaning you can pull
right in without having to wait for the door to rise up. Of course, this only
takes a few seconds, but who wouldn't want to save those if they had the
chance?
Supplies
and Groceries
For most of us, we tend to realize we've run out of things
at the moment we need them most. You reach into the fridge for milk to put in
your scrambled eggs only to realize there's none left, or you go into the
cupboard for toilet paper and grimace when you see there's none there. Smart
homes are helping to eliminate this hardship by using sensors to detect when
you're running low on things.
At the moment, those that work in your pantry are still
being developed, but there are refrigerators that will monitor expiration dates
and product levels and give you notifications when it's time to restock. These
same fridges can also look at what you have on hand and provide you with meal
ideas and recipes. To some, this sounds scary but to others, this is a dream
come true.
Lawn Care
Depending on who you are, lawn care is either your
favorite household chore or your most dreaded. If you fall into the second
category, don't worry, the internet is here to help. One of the most practical
solutions is automated sprinklers. These can be set up with your phone and they
can also tap into weather reports and adjust accordingly. For example, if you
set the sprinklers to go off at 4 pm. but there's a 90 percent chance of rain
at 5 o'clock, the sprinkler will know to skip that day and save you water.
Other, more extreme options include automatic lawnmowers.
They work similar to robotic vacuums but the technology is more advanced
because lawnmowers are more dangerous. These machines will create a map of your
lawn and then work on your own so that you can sit inside in the cool and watch
your lawn get cut for you. And you don't even need to offer someone lemonade
afterward!
Cooking
Cooking is fun, but to do it right, you need time, and
who's got that!? Luckily, there are now products out there that make it easier
for you to enjoy the benefits of slow cooking without having to stand in the
kitchen all day. These are essentially pots and pans you can monitor from afar.
You can set them to turn on and off when you want, and you can check on the
temperature as you go to see if you need to make adjustments. For some, this
time-saver could be life-changing.
Laundry
Laundry is one of the less glamorous parts of life, but
it's certainly important. Smart washers and dryers help make it a little
easier. For example, they allow you to remotely control your appliances, which
could be helpful if you don't want either the washer or dryer to be running
while you're away, and they also monitor energy consumption and adjust to
reduce the amount they use. Smart washers and dryers will also notify you when
cycles are done so that you don't leave something in the washer until it smells
or forget to take clothes out of the dryer before they get wrinkled.
Personal
Assistant
Because of our full, busy lives, we probably all need a
personal assistant to help remind us of appointments, medications, social
events, and all the other things we need to do. Fortunately, the internet has
made this easier than ever, especially with devices such as Google Home and
Amazon Alexa. You can add items to your calendar or to-do list and set
reminders just by speaking to the device, or you can input stuff into your
phone and have your assistant remind you at home. Of course, having a device
speak to you is off-putting at first, but you probably won't be able to live
without it, once you get used to it.
In fact, right now, the smart speaker market is the largest segment in the smart home industry. In 2018, smart speaker sales surpassed $3.2 billion, which was a 17 percent increase from the year before. Much of this growth has come from Amazon's Alexa system, which is dominating the market. Here's a breakdown of the smart speaker/personal assistant market:
TVs
Smart TVs are quickly becoming the norm. They allow you to
change the channel, control the volume, and record shows using just your voice,
and they also allow you to do things such as control when your kids can or
can't watch to limit their screen time. Many of these devices also allow you to
do this stuff remotely, which can come in handy if you're at home and suddenly
remember that you hadn't recorded the game you wanted to watch.
Pet Care
No one wants to think of pet care as a chore, but it can
be tough to remember to feed them every day when we've got so many other things
going on. Smart pet feeders allow you to pre-load food and then set a feeding
time as well as a quantity. This makes sure you never forget, and it's
particularly useful when you are going to be away for some time and don't have
someone who can come over and take care of your furry friend.
There are also smart pet feeders that come equipped with
cameras so that you can check in on your pet, talk to him or her, and even
throw them treats so that they know you're thinking about them when you're
away!
Cleaning
No one likes to clean. Being done can be satisfying, but
very few people actually like to get dirty, scrub floors, and clean.
Unfortunately, smart technology cannot completely replace your need to clean,
but it can reduce your responsibility. For example, robotic vacuum cleaners
will roam around your home or apartment and clean up the floor for you, and you
can even buy devices that will mop for you as well. These devices have an
uncanny ability to avoid things you've left on the floor, and while they can't
completely replace a good vacuum, they do a pretty good job and make our lives
a whole lot easier.
Beds
A good night's sleep is key to health and wellness, but so
many of us don't get enough sleep, or the sleep we do get is poor quality.
Smart beds, such as those offered by Sleep Number, analyze your biometrics
while you sleep to help identify why you might not be getting the rest you
need. They will then adjust the firmness of your bed to help you be more
comfortable, or they will play ambient sounds designed to help you relax. Peace
of mind is the best way to get a good night's sleep, but this technology will
help you better understand your sleep cycles so that you can recharge and make
the most of your days.
Conclusion
Clearly, the concept of the smart home is no longer one
reserved for the distant future. Instead, you can have a fully smart home today
if you want. However, the caveat is that this technology is still quite
expensive. Some devices and solutions are more mainstream than others, but
those that are still new remain out of reach for most homeowners.
But things such as thermostats, locks, lights, security
systems and pots and pans are most definitely affordable. Yet as the Internet
of Things continues to grow and people demand more and more smart home
solutions, there are sure to be more options that do more and cost less,
meaning the age of the Smart Home is likely just around the corner.
