Smart Homes

A smart home is equipped with internet connected devices that allow the home's security features, appliances, climate controls and more to be operated remotely via a mobile device. They can be set up using either hardwired or wireless systems.

Outdoor security cameras, video doorbells, smart locks, smart entertainment speakers, connected thermostats, pet cameras and smart thermostats are among the many internet connected home products now readily available to consumers.

Examples of smart home technologies

• Smart TVs. These TVs connect to the internet to access content through applications, such as on-demand video and music. Some smart TVs also include voice or gesture recognition.
• Smart lighting systems. In addition to being able to be controlled remotely and customized, smart lighting systems can detect when occupants are in the room and adjust lighting as needed. Smart lightbulbs can also regulate themselves based on daylight availability.
• Smart thermostats. Smart thermostats such as Google Nest, come with integrated Wi-Fi, letting users schedule, monitor and remotely control home temperatures. These devices also learn homeowners behaviors and automatically modify settings to provide them with maximum comfort and efficiency. Smart thermostats can also report energy use and remind users to change filters.
• Smart door locks and garage door openers. Homeowners can use smart locks and garage door openers to grant or deny access to visitors. Smart locks can also detect when residents are near and unlock the doors for them.
• Smart security cameras and systems. With smart security cameras and doorbells such as Ring, residents can monitor their homes when they're away. Smart motion sensors can identify the difference between residents, visitors, pets and burglars and can send notifications to authorities if suspicious behavior is detected.
• Smart pet and lawn care. Pet care can be automated with connected feeders. Houseplants and lawns can be watered using connected timers.
• Smart kitchen appliances. Brands such as LG, GE and Samsung offer smart kitchen appliances of all sorts. These appliances include smart coffee makers that can brew a fresh cup automatically at a programmed time, smart refrigerators that keep track of expiration dates, make shopping lists or even create recipes based on ingredients currently on hand; slow cookers and toasters; and, in the laundry room, washing machines and dryers.
• Smart household monitors. Household system monitors can, for example, sense a power surge and turn off appliances, sense water failures or freezing pipes and turn off the water so the home doesn't flood.
• Smart plugs. These connect to wall sockets to transform simple home devices, such as lamps and ceiling fans, so they can be controlled remotely via mobile apps and voice assistants such as Alexa.

Advantages of smart home technologies

• Provides assurance. Homeowners can monitor their homes remotely, countering dangers such as a forgotten coffee maker left on or a front door left unlocked.
• Accommodates user preferences for convenience. For example, users can program their garage door to open, the lights to go on, the fireplace to turn on and their favorite music to play once they arrive home.
• Offers peace of mind. IoT devices enable family members or caregivers to remotely monitor the health and well-being of seniors, allowing them to safely remain at home longer rather than moving to an assisted residence.
• Improves efficiency. Instead of leaving the air conditioning on all day, a smart home system can learn homeowner behaviors to ensure the house is cooled down by the time they return home.
• Saves resources and money. With a smart irrigation system, the lawn is watered only when needed and with the exact amount of water necessary. With home automation devices and a smart system setup, energy, water and other resources are used more efficiently, which helps save both natural resources and money for the consumer.
• Manages tasks. Smart virtual assistants, such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, can accomplish tasks through speech recognition and voice commands. For example, homeowners can use voice commands to turn on music, search the web and control their household smart devices.

Disadvantages of smart home technologies

• Requires a reliable internet connection. An unreliable internet connection or a network going down in the event of an outage can leave the devices and gadgets connected to a smart home inoperable.
• Perceived complexity. Some people have difficulties or a lack of patience with technology. Smart home manufacturers and alliances are working on reducing complexity and improving the user experience to make it enjoyable and beneficial for users of all technical levels.
• Lack of standards. For home automation systems to be truly effective, devices must be interoperable regardless of manufacturer and use the same protocol or, at least, complementary ones. As it's a relatively new market, there's no gold standard for home automation yet. However, standard alliances are partnering with manufacturers and protocols to ensure interoperability and a seamless user experience.
• Questionable security. IoT devices introduce security challenges because most of them lack built-in encryption. In addition, they can serve as access points for the broader network's sensitive data, increasing the attack surface. According to a recent report from consumer IoT market research firm Parks Associates, 55% of consumers are concerned about the security of their smart home devices. If hackers can infiltrate a smart device, they could potentially turn off the lights and alarms and unlock the doors, leaving a home defenseless to a break-in.
• Lack of data privacy. Many smart homeowners also worry about data privacy. According to the Parks Associates' research report, about 72% of consumers expressed worry or strong concern regarding the security of their personal data collected and transmitted by smart home devices. Likewise, they're equally concerned about the potential unauthorized access or control of smart devices without their permission. While smart home device and platform manufacturers collect consumer data to better tailor their products or offer new and improved services to customers, trust and transparency are critical to manufacturers looking to gain new customers.
• Expense. Even though prices are coming down, many smart home devices are still expensive, and an entire house makeover could cost thousands of dollars.

Components of a Smart Home

Heating

Smart home products now allow for greater control over heating devices, including turning products on and off and controlling settings. Smart products may be armed with temperature or humidity sensors to automatically turn on or off if certain criteria are met. This line of smart home innovations also extends to air conditioners.

Lighting

Lights can be switched on and off remotely, placed on a schedule or set to change based on sunrise or sunset times.

Like some more conventional products, lights can often be set to change based on motion. Smart bulbs can communicate over Wi-Fi and display usage statistics on your phone.

This lighting category includes smart home products that control the degree of light. Automatic blinds may be installed and set to close based on sunrise schedules. Electronic curtains allow users to manage window blinds using a handheld device.

Audio/Visual

One of the more appealing aspects of smart homes is the many entertainment products that can be connected to each other and controlled with a single remote. Television and speakers can be played on command using applications. They can be operated according to a schedule or by voice control.

Security

One of the most important aspects of a smart home is the enhanced security capabilities it offers. Products with cameras track motion, capture videos or allow for live video feeds. These may be installed to sync with a ringing doorbell or set to capture certain areas of your property.

Products can be enabled with audio or video calls with people standing at your door.

Many smart homes are also refit with advanced security kits. These kits include motion sensor detectors, home monitoring, notifications and alerts concerning suspicious behavior and the ability to lock doors or windows remotely.