Home automation is something which, up until recently, was something which only encompassed the very basics of running a home. Thermostats, air conditioning, water temperature and the basics of security were all that most people had access to.
Recent changes in technology, and in particular the use of small linear actuators to increase the amount of gadgets and pieces of home property which can be automated, have changed the way in which people approach home automation. While security and thermostat control are still high on many people’s lists of what they want out of home automation, they are now realising that they can get so much more, and companies are delivering on that demand.
Linear actuators are possibly the biggest reason for the widening of scope when it comes to technology used in home automation – not only do they allow for more things to move, such as lifts, chairs, drawers, windows, blinds, and many other things, but they also allow for a greater degree of control to be had over these things than would otherwise have been possible.
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- Décor-friendly – part of the reason for the new boom in home automation is that companies are now working to make their gadgets look like they belong in a house, rather than in a museum or laboratory. Sleek and shiny, the new tools can be either unobtrusive, or a conversation piece.
- Zone-based heating – automated heating and thermostats is a really good invention, but having thermostats which can heat one portion of a house without doing the same for any other part of it is a stroke of genius. Using motion sensors, zone-based heating only works in rooms where there are people.
- Wireless controls – control all the automated devices from one area with just a touch of your finger. Rather than needing to be operated at the source, a lot of today’s automation comes complete with as touchpad which doesn’t need to be connected to the machine it operates.
- Automatic locks – struggle no more with doors and groceries! Automatic door locks can be unlocked and sometimes even opened automatically by using a lock which responds to signals sent from your smartphone.
- Advanced security – rather than the fairly simple automated security systems which were all that was available before, new security systems offer the same services, but with additions: cloud storage, audio as well as video, wireless connections so they can be placed anywhere in the home, etc. Many companies are now making them look like everyday objects, to include the ability to have people blend them into their décor.
- More mainstream – home automation was initially quite rare, and (as has been said) restricted to a few minor points in the home. However, as automation became more widely known, and as people grew more used to the idea, and to the technologies which it involved, they began to ask for more. At first home automation in the form of thermostats and security systems was enough, but recent advances in technology have had people asking for more, and for more everyday items to be automated.
- Everything is connected – the Internet of Things, as it is known, is leading to a situation where everything is connected. People are already becoming used to being able to control their heating from a remote location – the next step is easy to take.
