Have you often been doubtful whether you have turned off the lights, the gas stove, or closed the fridge? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could check out your home and turn anything off or on. IoT is for you as it makes your home smart home.
Now, let’s have a detailed look into it.
The world is becoming more and more connected at present. You can use your smartphone to control your kitchen appliances, lights, temperature, surveillance system, vacuum cleaner, and more from anywhere in the world.
Sounds amazing, right?
Thanks to IoT, sensors, gadgets, and mobile phones, any home can be a smart home!
The technology uses automation, artificial intelligence (AI), hybrid clouds, and other digital technologies to make the most of the data collected and then use it to drive better operations.
A standard home of today is going through a complete metamorphosis, or what we like to call “smart homes.”
The world is undoubtedly becoming increasingly interconnected and reliant on the Internet.
Let’s have a look at the IoT scene in 2022.
- By 2022, smart speaker usage will have increased by 55%
- In 2030, it’s predicted that there will be more than 25.4 billion active IoT devices
- 37% of consumers consider fire/theft alarm systems as the best form of protection…
- By 2025, it is predicted that there will be 30.9 billion Internet of Things (IoT) linked devices deployed globally, a significant increase from the 13.8 billion units anticipated in 2021.
IoT smart home connectivity
As of now, Zigbee and Z-Wave are two popular communication technologies for home automation. Both use short-range, low-power radio waves and mesh network technologies for communication.
Even though both Z-Wave and Zigbee are in use for smart home applications, Z-Wave has a range of 30 meters while Zigbee’s range is only 10 meters.
While Sigma Designs is the only company that sells Z-Wave chips, other companies sell Zigbee chips.
However, due to the fact that it is already present in almost all homes, Wi-Fi is also a connectivity option, which is in widely use for the smart home. With WPA2, Wi-Fi may provide high security while maintaining speeds of up to 800 Mbit/s.
But there is a problem with Wi-Fi. Even if it has no coverage, Wi-Fi uses a lot of electricity.
The most popular connectivity choice, aside from Wi-Fi, is Bluetooth. Because Bluetooth is a well-known brand and is a feature of every major smartphone now available, millions of people worldwide use it every day for connecting many smart devices.
Given that Bluetooth is a fundamental component of cell phones, it should be around for a while.
But there is an issue at present. The data transfer capability of all the above-mentioned communication modes is not adequate.
Even though by 2024, 50% of all consumer premise equipment (CPE) will support the new Wi-Fi 6 standard, which has high coverage, numbers still suggest that 5G is the best option, but in reality, 5G is just picking up and it will take time.
Currently, the average 5G speed hovers around 46 megabits per second and is frequently lower. However, if its intra-connectivity, optic fiber is the best option.
On any condition, they can provide more than 100 Mbps, which is far faster than the current 5G.
Components used in Home Automation
The division of main parts may be into:
- IoT Gateways, IoT Sensors
- IoT Firmware IoT Protocols
- IoT Cloud Databases
There are thousands of IoT sensors that can be useful for home automation, as well as hundreds of home automation gateways. The majority of the firmware is in programming languages such as C, Python, Node.js, and others.
IoT cloud providers (LaaS) include Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
Applications of IoT in the home
- Consumers may remotely operate appliances with their smartphones thanks to automation. Lights and a variety of equipment, including washing machines and coffee makers, may now be ON from outside a house.
- Smart lighting helps in reducing energy consumption by adjusting the light to the surrounding environment and turning it on/off or dimming the light as needed. Smart lighting systems for homes also save energy by sensing people moving and where they are and adjusting the lights accordingly.
- The foundation of every security system is now biometrics. They are hassle-free and simple to handle. The system merely records the workers’ thumb or iris impressions as they arrive, marking their attendance. This model reduces costs and saves time. When biometrics combines with IoT, you will get to see real-time data about the person who is accessing your home.
- Using smart locks and garage door openers, users may grant or deny access to visitors. Additionally, smart locks may detect a resident’s presence and instantly unlock the doors.
- IoT-enabled bathrooms allow you to access data via your smart mirror and control the entire bathroom water system, including temperature, flow, and so on.
- Various garden sensors can be deployed and with their help, you can measure the condition of the soil and even enable a smart watering system or fertilizer system using your smartphone.
- Special built-in programs monitor the user’s food supply in the refrigerator (and restock it if required from the online store), provide recipe recommendations, and evaluate the nutritional value of meals for the respective recipe.
- Safety sensors are clever devices that may identify problems in your home. They have the ability to immediately warn consumers of potential dangers and even take action to prevent them. All you need is, sensors installed in their home and a smartphone with Internet connectivity.
- With the help of an IoT-enabled temperature control system, you can avoid getting caught up in the hassle of manually controlling the temperature forever. Additionally, there are AI-enabled systems that can regulate temperature depending on various indoor conditions.
- Depending on user behavior, location, and listening history, IoT media platforms can provide calming sounds, party music, or even control the lighting and temperature of the room. Another potent technological skill is predictive analytics. AI assists in predicting and comprehending user behavior to offer customized information.
- Smart Plugs can transform any item with 1,800 watts or less into a WiFi-connected gadget, making them perfect for tiny appliances like space heaters and flat irons. That implies that you’ll be able to arrange scenarios and use your voice to turn these gadgets on and off.
- Smart windows may be set up to react to events, signals as well as signals from other equipment. Since the system will check for you and close the windows, if necessary, you won’t have to worry about doing so when you leave the house.
- A lot of homes at present are using smart smoke detectors, which also serve as temperature monitoring systems that can notify users about a sudden change in the temperature of the room or a rise in harmful gases.
- There are sensors available on the market that can be fitted to your water system to check for irregularities in the flow or even the purity of water.
- Smart feeders provide a solution for automatic pet care. These feeders can provide food and hydration for your pets at timely intervals. This, in turn, will let you see and talk to them, and offer treats whenever you please.
And many more.
