Smart Homes for Smart People

When you're not home, little doubts can start to crowd your mind. Did I feed the pets? Did I turn the coffee maker off? Did I set the security alarms? Are the kids doing their homework or watching television? Have I forgotten to water the plants??? Smart home automation is an easy solution for all these doubts.

Smart home means the home which is built with more efficiency then the other houses, it has various devices connected to it for example alarms, temperature control of house, controlling the lighting of house even when you are away, pet feeding and plant watering when you are out for vacation. Smart homes take advantage of automation technology and modern building techniques to give home owners a new level of control. Smart homes may be built from scratch with automation as a key design goal, or constructed from existing homes during a major renovation. In both cases, smart homes offer several advantages over conventional homes.

Features:

• Convenience:
  Convenience is one of the biggest reasons that people build and purchase smart homes. These homes give users remote access to systems including heating and cooling systems, intercoms, music and multimedia devices throughout the home. Integrated hard drives allow home owners to watch video or listen to audio in any room; video intercoms make it easy to communicate with others in the home or visitors at the door. All of these smart home technologies streamline common tasks.
• Security:
  Smart homes include advanced security systems with cameras, motion sensors and a link to the local police station or a private security company. Smart homes may also use key cards or fingerprint Identification in place of conventional locks, making it harder for someone to break in.
• Accessibility:
  For elderly or disabled residents, a smart home may feature accessibility technologies. Voice-command systems can do things like control lights, lock doors, operate a telephone or use a computer. Home automation allows an individual to set a schedule for automatic tasks like watering the lawn, removing the need to perform these labor-intensive tasks on a regular basis.
• Efficiency:
  Smart homes offer enhanced energy-efficiency. Lights can shut off automatically when no one is in a room, and the thermostat can be set to let the indoor temperature drop during the day before returning it to a more comfortable level just before residents arrive in the evening. All of these automated tasks, along with modern, energy-efficient appliances, combine to save on electricity, water and natural gas, thereby reducing the strain on natural resources.
• Resale:
  When it comes time to sell a smart home, sellers will have an abundance of effective selling points. Whichever advantage of a smart home appeals to a given buyer, the seller can explain the system and discuss how it makes life easier. Homes with automated systems have the potential to sell for many more than comparable homes with conventional technologies. Automating a home can be a worthwhile investment in increasing its market value and attracting possible buyers in the future.

Applications:

1. Keep an eye on the babysitter while at work, or on your home while on vacation, through an Internet-connected video camera and audio devices.
2. Adjust the thermostat while you lie in bed or from a cell phone on your way home from work.
3. Control the thermostat of your bath tub from work through the cell phone.
4. Organize and control every component of the home entertainment system, television, DVD, VCR and whole house audio with a single touch-screen remote from anywhere in the home.
5. Set a series of events for your morning routine, designate the thermostat to warm the room, have lights gradually increase intensity, ensure the coffee begins brewing and the television turns on.
6. Program your security system to alert you through e-mail or phone when the system detects activity in the home while you are away.
7. No need to walk around the house turning off lights before exiting the home or going to sleep, turn off all house lights with the touch of a single button.
8. Check out who is at the front door without leaving the comfort and safety of your couch through a display on your TV screen showing the visitor at the front door.
9. Control all scheduled tasks, such as watering the lawn and outdoor lighting, with a simple computer program.
10. Yours pets are automatically fed, provided new water and clean litter while you are away from home.