Smart Homes: Overview

Smart Homes Concept:

Smart Houses are homes controlled by home automation. Home automation is automation of the home, housework or household activity. Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security. Home automation for the elderly and disabled can provide increased quality of life for persons who might otherwise require caregivers or institutional care

A home automation system integrates electrical devices in a house with each other. The techniques employed in home automation include those in building automation as well as the control of domestic activities, such as home entertainment systems, houseplant and yard watering, pet feeding, changing the ambiance "scenes" for different events (such as dinners or parties), and the use of domestic robots. Devices may be connected through a computer network to allow control by a personal computer, and may allow remote access from the internet. Through the integration of information technologies with the home environment, systems and appliances are able to communicate in an integrated manner which results in convenience, energy efficiency, and safety benefits

What are Smart Homes?

"a physical world that is richly and invisibly interwoven with sensors, actuators, displays, and computational elements, embedded seamlessly in the everyday objects of our lives, and connected through a continuous network" -- Mark Weiser

Smart houses are homes that offer varying degrees of automation, has highly advanced automatic systems for lighting, temperature control, multi-media, security, window and door operations, and many other functions.

A smart home appears "intelligent" because its computer systems can monitor so many aspects of daily living.

Other terms that are related to smart homes are aware house, changeable home, attentive house and ambient intelligence. These terms are used to emphasis that the home environment should be able to respond and modify itself continuously according to its diverse residents and their changeable needs.

How can Smart Homes help disabled and elderly people?

A smart home can enable disabled and elderly people to lead safe and independent lives in their own homes like the following:

1- Provide an environment that is constantly monitored to ensure the householder is safe (activity monitoring).

2- Automate specific tasks that a householder is unable to perform (turning lights on or off). 3- Provide a safe and secure environment (alerting the householder of potentially dangerous activities).

4- Alert helpers or careers should the householder be in difficulties (through linking to a local community alarm scheme)

5- Enable and empower the user.

6- Facilitate in the rehabilitation of householders (by giving prompts that be

auditory and/or visual).