Nick Vandome - Smart Homes in Easy Steps: Master Smart Technology for Your Home

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Contents

About Smart Homes

This chapter introduces the concept of the smart home and shows some of the uses for smart home devices.

Introducing the Smart Home

The concept of the smart home, i.e. one in which most of the electronic devices are controlled via voice controls, apps, or accessed remotely, is not a science fiction vision of the future; it is very much part of the here and now, and a realistic and affordable option for most households. For a smart home to work to its full potential there are a number of elements that can be in place:

Smart home devices.

Digital voice assistants, or hubs.

Apps on smartphones and tablets, and online access.

Smart homes can operate without all three of these elements; e.g. smart home devices can be operated without digital voice assistants or apps, but to get the complete smart home experience, it is worth having all three in place.

Some people consider smart home devices to be an irrelevance that automates tasks that are already easily done manually. However, similar things were said when the television remote control was first introduced. The range of functionality for smart home devices ensures that it is likely that they will become as common in the home as the ubiquitous TV remote.

Range of devices

Also known as the Internet of Things (IoT), smart home technology now spans a wide range of devices (and this is increasing regularly) as manufacturers realize the commercial importance of smart homes. Some of the current devices are:

Smart lighting systems, including smart light bulbs and a bridge that connects to your Wi-Fi router. Individual lights can be controlled around the home with an app, a digital voice assistant, or a remote control. Groups of lights can also be used to create artistic effects. Smart lighting apps contain a range of settings that can be used to give you maximum control and flexibility over your lighting system.

Smart home devices use a range of methods of wireless communication to link to their related apps or remote controls. The most common is Wi-Fi, but various devices also use Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-Wave. These are looked at .

Smart thermostats. Heating systems can be controlled to turn them on and off and set the temperature. They can also be used to determine whether there are people at home, and regulate the temperature accordingly. In this way, they can be used to save money on your heating bills.

Smart security systems. Extensive security systems, using external cameras, can be installed, and controlled and viewed via an app.

Smart locks. In addition to security cameras, smart locks can be used to add additional security to your home. They can be activated by key cards, key fobs, apps, digital voice assistants, time-limited PIN codes, and even remotely.

Smart cameras. Individual cameras can be used within the home, such as for monitoring a babys bedroom, or the outside of a property.

Smart plugs and sockets. Individual smart plugs can be used throughout the home, so that devices can be turned on and off without having to physically press a switch.

Robotic lawnmowers and cleaners. Tasks within or outside the home can be automated through the use of robot lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners and mops. These do not all have their own compatible apps, but can work independently.

Smart home devices can also operate in the traditional manual way, in case their wireless communication is not working. For instance, smart light bulbs can be operated using the usual wall switch, and a smart heating system can still be controlled using the manual control panel.

There are also an increasing number of miscellaneous smart home devices, such as smart kettles, smart blinds, smart humidifiers and smart portable air conditioners. The list of smart home devices will undoubtedly expand as the technology becomes more widely available.

Digital voice assistants

Digital voice assistants are fast becoming the must-have accessory in the digital world. They consist of a stand-alone speaker, with the functionality provided by the digital voice assistant, which provides information from the cloud via your home Wi-Fi.

Digital voice assistants can perform a range of tasks such as providing news updates, telling a joke, playing music, and controlling smart home devices.

Different manufacturers have their own digital voice assistants, and the main ones are (the speaker is first, with the digital voice assistant second):

The Amazon Echo and Alexa.

The Google Home and Google Assistant.

The Apple HomePod and Siri.

For each device the functionality is similar: the speaker connects to your home Wi-Fi and any requests for information are then sent to the cloud service for the relevant device. For instance, if you ask the Google Assistant to tell you the weather for the following day, the details will come from Google, in the same way as for searching with Google on the web. For smart home devices, instructions can be given to the digital voice assistant, and these will be actioned via your home Wi-Fi and the Wi-Fi functionality of the smart home device.

Digital voice assistants also have associated apps, where settings can be applied for the device; e.g. the Alexa app for the Echo and Alexa, the Google Home app for Google Home and the Google Assistant, and the Home app for the Apple HomePod and Siri. Depending on the device, there is a considerable range of settings that can be applied with the associated app.