What is Home Automation?

What Is Home Automation?


Home automation is the use of one or more computers to control basic home functions and features automatically and sometimes remotely. An automated home is sometimes called a smart home.


 That definition above is the popular version on hundreds of web today. My definition is a bit different, I will write a entire post about it later. Now is the short Version BELOW:
What is Home Automation? Home Automation, is the use of networked devices to create a infinite array of virtual assistants designed to improve our quality of life. By Monitoring, Harvesting, Logging, Analyzing, Reporting and Reacting to our surroundings and us individually.

 Note: Home Automation is an aspect of a Smart Home in its self it would never be considered a SMART HOME.

Below is where all the FUN Starts:

Automated functions in Home Automation range from basic on & off functions to complex chains of functions called Scenes that typically are customized to the preferences of the individual in that area of the home at that time.

 These functions and scenes can be automated using schedules, triggers, physically pushing, tapping, or holding a button or switch down for a given amount of time, or even with voice commands typically refereed to as voice control, to name just a few.

Schedules have typically been date time, but now days include real time scheduling by linking to things such as the national weather service data for your exact location like sun set, or sun rise. As you know the sun rises and sets at slightly different times each day. This allows you to conserve energy and save money by only having lights come and off when needed. It could be argued that this type of schedule is really a trigger. Meaning you are triggering your function based on the event of sun rise or sunset.

 Triggers, a trigger is any event that you can capture to Automate a function in your Home Automation. Other types triggers include motion, Temperature, amount of light, Sound, The presence of a person or thing. These all can trigger your functions or a Scene.

Physically pushing, touching, taping or holding a Button or Switch can call one or more of your functions.

 Voice control, you can ask or even tell your Automated Home To Turn the Lights on individually one at a time, or in groups based a specific area of the home called zones, or even in Scenes that may contain multiple zones. Your scene could contain individual lights or even all lights across all zones in your entire home. Again we are barely scratching the surface in this area, all of these topics and a lot more will be covered in greater detail in other post. Be sure to subscribe to my blog to make sure you don't miss anything

 Please note that depending on the application and the features you want to use you will need a BRAIN for this system you are creating. It could be as little as your cell phone you may want to just control some lights with your phone. It could be dedicated server or PCs. Or please read my post on Home Automation Hubs, a hub is a self contained computer. Some with more then others packed with communications hardware. What To Look For When Shopping For Your Home Automation Systems Brain? While on that post be sure to read about the best Smart Home Hubs for 2017.

 The home automation industry falls into three very broad categories. We will talk mostly on #3
  1. Professionally installed, Managed and Monitored systems. $$$$$$$
  2. Managed service systems. $$$$$
  3. Do-it-yourself (DIY) $ - $$$

What type of home functions are typically automated?

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