What is home automation?
Innovation and intelligence in the home
Home automation makes it possible to automate tasks related to security, well-being, and comfort through a smart system installed in a home or building. In other words, it integrates technology into the design of a space.
One of the main advantages of home automation systems is energy efficiency. Automating air conditioning, lighting, security, or communication translates to significant savings in energy consumption. There is also an improvement in the quality of life of users who now have a home adapted to all their needs.
What is home automation?
Home automation is the smart management of all aspects related to security, well-being, and comfort of a home or building. Through a set of technologies, different systems are automated, controlled, administered, and optimized.
Etymologically, the term domotics, a fancy name for home automation, comes from Latin and Greek. It is made up of the words “domus,” which means “home” in Latin, and “autonomy,” which means "self-governing" in Greek
Internet arrived to homes at the end of the 90s, taking the first step to bring home automation closer to reality. Some years later, smartphones appeared in 2007, which combined with the Internet of Things (IoT) make it possible to control functions of other devices from a cell phone. Currently, people use apps or virtual assistants based on artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as Siri, Google, and Alexa.
Characteristics of home automation
Applications of home automation
Home automation has several useful applications. The most important are:
How does home automation work?
Advantages of creating smart buildings with home automation
Home automation plays a key role in the development of smart cities given that their smart buildings require a management system to control automation processes in real time. It provides advantages at different levels:
Architectural advantages
Greater control over resources
Increase in construction value
Comfort and security of tenants
Environmental advantages
Energy savings
Development of sustainable cities
Solar home automation to control the energy production depending on consumption needs
Technological advantages
Improves interaction between the home and tenant
Devices are connected and communicate with each other
Automated installation
Cost benefits
Savings on the final energy bill
Reduction in maintenance costs
Useful life of all electronic devices is extended
Benefits of having an automated home
The automation system of a smart home integrates all elements into the same network, which allows the user to take control and centralize the equipment with a single installation. The main benefits of having a automated home are:
Smart hospitals and farms
Smart hospitals
Home automation technology improves patient stays and facilitates the work of health professionals. Thanks to building automation, the general conditions of a room can be monitored in real time (lighting, call bell, motion sensors, pressure sensors, curtains, and bed lamps). Additionally, professionals can control different aspects of the building from a monitoring system such as temperature, supplies, and monitoring of the patients.
Smart farms
The integration of home automation contributes to sustainably increasing productivity, balancing food safety needs, and managing ecosystems and landscapes more efficiently. For instance, surveillance camera systems and security equipment reduce risks of theft, fire, and floods, in addition to allowing certain tasks to be reviewed remotely. Process automation such as the control of supplies, lighting, or watering leads to energy savings and, in turn, a reduction in operation costs.