Smart home? Now that is a smart idea...

It's your home, feel free to tell it what to do.
However, it might just talk back.
All from the touch of a button.

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What is a Smart Home?

A smart home is one in which the various electric and electronic appliances are wired up to a central computer control system so they can either be switched on and off at certain times (for example, heating can be set to come on automatically at 6:00AM on winter mornings) or if certain events happen (lights can be set to come on only when a photoelectric sensor detects that it's dark). A plug-in Smiths time switch for controlling ordinary home appliances. Most homes already have a certain amount of "smartness" because many appliances already contain built-in sensors or electronic controllers. Virtually all modern washing machines have programmers that make them follow a distinct series of washes, rinses, and spins depending on how you set their various dials and knobs when you first switch on. If you have a natural-gas-powered central heating system, most likely you also have a thermostat on the wall that switches it on and off according to the room temperature, or an electronic programmer that activates it at certain times of day whether or not you're in the house. Maybe you're really hi-tech and you have a robotic vacuum cleaner that constantly crawls around your floors sweeping the dust?

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Implementation

The Smart Homes will be implemented through Li-Fi technology. Li-Fi is transmission of data through illumination by sending data through a LED light bulb that varies in intensity faster than the human eye can follow. LED bulbs are most ideal for implementing Li-Fi since LED light bulbs can amplify light intensity and switch rapidly meaning LED cells can modulate thousands of signals without the human eye ever noticing.
Li-Fi is a Visible Light Communications (VLC) system for data transmission which will have two components:

one device with a photodiode able to receive light signals
A light source equipped with a signal processing unit.

The models used for the in-house communication will include GigaShower, GigaSpot and Giga- MIMO. A transmitter is mounted into the ceiling connected to a media server. On the other side are portable or fixed devices on an operating room. GigaShower will provide unidirectional data services via several channels to multiple users with gigabit-class communication speed over several metres. GigaSpot and GigaMIMO are optical wireless single- and multi-channel HotSpot solutions which will offer bidirectional gigabit-class communication in any room.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Convenience

In today’s fast-paced society, the less you have to worry about, the better. Right? Convenience is another primary selling point of home automation devices, which virtually eliminate small hassles such as turning the lights off before you go to bed or adjusting the thermostat when you wake up in the morning. Many systems come with remote dashboard capabilities, so forgetting to turn off that coffee pot before you leave no longer requires a trip back to the house. Simply pull up the dashboard on a smart device or computer, and turn the coffee pot off in a matter of seconds.

Energy Saving

Home automation systems have definitely proven themselves in the arena of energy efficiency. Automated thermostats allow you to pre-program temperatures based on the time of day and the day of the week. And some even adjust to your behaviors, learning and adapting to your temperature preferences without your ever inputting a pre-selected schedule. Traditional or behavior-based automation can also be applied to virtually every gadget that can be remotely controlled – from sprinkler systems to coffee makers. Actual energy savings ultimately depend on the type of device you select and its automation capabilities. But on average, product manufacturers estimate the systems can help consumers save anywhere from 10 to 15 percent off of heating and cooling bills.

Security

Remote monitoring can put your mind at ease while you’re away from the house. With remote dashboards, lights and lamps can be turned on and off, and automated blinds can be raised and lowered. These capabilities – combined with automated security systems – can help you mitigate the risks of intrusions: you will be alerted immediately if something uncharacteristic happens.

Cons

Installation Costs.

Depending on the complexity of the system, installing a home automation device can be a significant burden on the homeowner. It can either cost you money if you hire an outside contractor or cost you time if you venture to do it yourself.

Complex Technology

Automating everything in life may sound extremely appealing, but sometimes a good old-fashioned flip of the switch is a lot easier than reaching for your smart phone to turn lights on and off. Before you decide which system is right for you, think about how far you really want to take home automation in your household.

System Compatibility

Controlling all aspects of home automation from one centralized platform is important, but not all systems are compatible with one another. Your security system, for example, may require you to log in to one location to manage settings, while your smart thermostat may require you to log in to another platform to turn the air conditioner on and off. To truly leverage the convenience of home automation, you may need to invest in centralized platform technology to control all systems and devices from one location.

Connected Appliances

1. Lighting

The Smart Lighting System is equipped with sensitive motion detectors in that, as one moves through the rooms, lights turn on ahead and fade behind. These will be sensor integrated. Meaning that, they will be able to sense people and day light. One will also be able to manually control the lighting system if they desire. The smart Lighting is somewhat of a delight as it sets the mood ready for a movie, making the house ready for a theme party say, Christmas, the range is limitless. The bulbs to be used are Phillips Hue bulbs which enables the home user to wirelessly control the intensity and color of the home lighting. One is able to customize schedules, color and color combinations upto 50 Hue LED LIGHTS.

Connected Appliances

2. Entertainment(TV & Radio)

This Smart entertainment integration allows one to control the entertainment appliances directly from the app. These may include: Turn on/off Cable TV, Turn off /on the Stereo System, Turn on the PlayStation or Xbox When one Changes to Game Mode. Other key features will include;

True movie theatre experience from the comfort of one’s own home, filling it with surround sound and a 4K video, or

Set the mood for the whole house, letting one’s favorite music follow in every room. The smart entertainment system will be able to connect to a wide array of songs through streaming sites like Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn and iTunes.

Set the whole house for an entertainment mode: say adjust lights, shades and thermostat. Also greet your friends attending the party as they enter your home.

Connected Appliances

3. Smart Locks

The smart lock provides an automatic lock and unlock feature. It also has a door sense module that lets you know when you have left the door open. Can also work with key in case phone runs out of charge

Has a keypad on which you can key in a preset code to pen the door, you can also open the door remotely from the smart home app. Smart locks can also be implemented in the following ways:Garage-you can open garage remotely(from driveway) by using smarthome app.

Windows can also be fitted with smart locks to allow for control remotely. Smart home app can also be used to close the blinds.
If someone tries to force their way in through the lock a real time signal is sent to users phone and alarm company. The lock also emits a piercing siren that warns intruders away

Connected Appliances

4. Security System

Gives ability to monitor and control home security systems remotely. Can be implemented in the following areas:

Alarm monitoring- in case of home intrusion or fires an alert is sent to both users phone and relevant authorities(security company/fire company).The alarm is set off when there is attempted unauthorized access of the home. The alarm can only be turned off by smarthome user on the smarthome app.

CCTV monitoring-real time feeds of the CCTV footage can be stored,backed up and accessed from the smart home app.(cloud). This enhances security and it also allows user to monitor their home even when they are away.

Connected Appliances

5. Thermostat

The smart thermostat is a smart technology used in home automation to remotely control one’s home temperature remotely preferably via a phone or tablet. Temperature is set on dial. The Smart Home will use two types of thermostats:

Connected Thermostat: these will be controlled through internet connection for remote management. Users will be allowed to adjust heating or cooling conditions. This is the simplest version of the thermostat.

Learning Zoned Thermostat : these are more advanced and will learn when each room of the house is occupied and then automatically schedule heating or cooling of a particular room.

The smart thermostat eliminates the need to constantly adjust temperature at your home especially when one is too tired to do it manually. It also makes the home a conducive temperature for when one arrives.