Understanding The Role of IoT in Home Automation

From schools to hospitals and supply chain industries everyone is now making use of the IoT technology to accelerate various tasks. The technology has the potential to accelerate various tasks at home. Smart Homes are now equipped with smart locks to prevent owners from potential thefts. Smart home app development has the potential to facilitate everyday household activities and enhance the comforts of the users. 

We are an IoT app development company that delivers home automation app development solutions to businesses across the globe. 

According to Statista reports the total revenue in the smart home niche is expected to grow US$141 billion by 2023.

What is a Smart Home?

Connected home and smart home are the terms used interchangeably but they are both different. Let’s clarify the differences and similarities between them:

• Home Automation or Domotics: Homeowners use various appliances like washing machines, dishwashers, and gadgets that can be operated using electricity. Today, these appliances are connected with the Internet of Things (IoT) to make these appliances intelligent. The smart electrical appliances are equipped with smart IoT sensors to decide the amount of water needed, provide thermostats to correct the temperature.

For instance, a smart air conditioner senses when a person enters the room and it accordingly adjusts or regulates the temperature to make that person feel comfortable. 

Various smart devices are connected with an AI component. The AI component keeps a check on human behavior and accordingly facilitates the homeowners to adjust things as per their convenience. For eg., Amazon echo is the perfect example of a smart IoT device. The device is equipped with AI (Alexa) to enhance user experiences. 

• Connected home: Connected homes are different from smart homes. The smart homes have local connectivity through a local area network and protocols like Bluetooth, Zigbee, and the internet connection. The connectivity enables automated devices to transfer or exchange information inside a home using the internet or remote devices. For instance: Today Smart Meters are used to gather insights on electricity usage. The gathered insights are then shared with the power utility using Wi-Fi. 

• Smart Home: A smart home differs from a connected and automated home but it requires automation and connectivity both. In a smart home, smart, automated, and connected devices work in sync with each other to manage themselves and control other devices. 

Also read: Smart Home Automation Trends To Watch In 2020 

When can a device be called smart?

It is not required that all IoT-based smart home devices should be smart but they must be connected to an IoT platform or smart devices like voice-activated digital assistants. A smart device is the one that can itself manage devices at the other end of the smart scale like a thermostat.

Four characteristics that define IoT devices given by Michael Porter and James Heppelmann in the evolution of “smart” device are: 

• Monitoring. IoT monitoring devices use sensors to detect the condition, location, and operations surrounding the environment.
• Control. Offers embedded software controls and personalizes a device. 
• Optimization. An analytical system used for diagnosing and optimizing devices operations.
• Autonomy. Artificial Intelligence algorithms facilitate the autonomous operation of a device. It automates coordination with other systems to make the devices smarter and intelligent. 

The above characteristics of smart IoT devices indicate that a truly smart HVAC system in the IoT smart home can even sense when a person is entering the room. On sensing the movement it automatically adjusts the temperature based on their preferences without human intervention.

Also read: Using Beacons for Office and Home Automation

What does IoT automation add to the home?

A smart home provides a comfortable ambient temperature. Today various smart devices have emerged in the market. McKinsey identifies the following categories according to the device’s use:

• Security and safety. Safety and security sensors ensure internal and perimeter security. It also provides accurate monitoring for prevention from potential risks including flood and fire. 
• Utilities Management. A smart home consists of controlled monitors that are used to optimize energy, gas, and water consumption. The sensors automatically switch off the motor when the water tank is full. 
• Wellness Monitoring. Wearables are attached to the patient's body that provides patients health details and monitors chronic conditions like diabetes or Alzheimer’s.
• Smart Appliances. Connected fridges, coffee machines, Roombas, and stoves are examples of smart appliances. 
• Entertainment. Smart video and music players are tuned to the individual’s tastes.

Samsung introduced a smart refrigerator that can play music and control other devices using its digital assistant, Bixby. 

• Adaptive Learning Technology: It is expected that smart IoT homes will be integrated with Adaptive learning technology. The experts believe that these smart homes will be able to distinguish between homeowners and guests just by analyzing their biometrics like body temperature, fingerprints, and even heartbeats. When the homeowners return home after a hectic day at the office they can relax because everything will be automatically adjusted as per individual’s preferences including room temperature, lighting, and music. 

Are you planning to equip your home space with smart technology? We are an IoT application development company that delivers smart IoT solutions to businesses across the globe. Get in touch with our experts for complete details!