Smart House

How It Works?

Today's smart homes communicate with a combination of wired and wireless technology. Devices can communicate with one another through the electrical wiring in your home, or through radio waves similar to Wi-Fi and cell phone communication. Some systems use one or the other method (wired or wireless), but these systems tend to be less reliable as interference of other devices in the home clogs the communication lines. The newest systems offer a dual-mesh home network, meaning that the signals have more than one way to get to their destination.

Cost

Since it's birth in 1975, smart home technology has progressively become more affordable, and therefore more common, as time goes by. The cost of a home networking system varies depending on the level of functionality you wish to obtain. According to a story by MSNBC, a basic smart home network could cost in 2009 as little as $8,000. This system would control things like lighting, door locks and your thermostat. The smart home technology in Bill Gates' home cost $113 million, but is vastly more extensive.

Disadvantages

The convenience of smart homes sending information over the Internet to cellular air waves allows smart home owners to access information about their home from anywhere. This leaves the home vulnerable to hackers, who may turn off alarm systems or obtain private information collected by the home.

Smart homes may also raise privacy concerns. Video surveillance can be a useful resource, but constant surveillance often makes residents uneasy. Again, there is the possibility that hackers can access your private video streams. Once that happens, there is little controlling what is done with the videos.

Future of Smart Home Technology

Scientists and developers are excited at the possibilities that smart technology may bring. Imagine being able to get fashion advice from your mirror, receive a text message with a photo of the visitor at the front door before you answer, or wallpaper that doubles as a cinema screen. These ideas, and many more, are the concepts that are in beta testing for smart homes of the future. Are we keeping up with the Jones or the Jetsons

Example of smart houses.

When you're not home, nagging little doubts can start to crowd your mind. Did I turn the coffee maker off? Did I set the security alarm? Are the kids doing their homework or watching television?

With a smart home, you could quiet all of these worries with a quick trip online. When you're home, the house takes care of you by playing your favorite song whenever you walk in or instantaneously dimming the lights for a movie. Is it magic? No, it's home automation. Smart homes connect all the devices and appliances in your home so they can communicate with each other and with you.

Anything in your home that uses electricity can be put on the home network and at your command. Whether you give that command by voice, remote control or computer, the home reacts. Most applications relate to lighting, home security, home theater and entertainment and thermostat regulation.

The idea of a smart home might make you think of George Jetson and his futuristic abode or maybe Bill Gates, who spent more than $100 million building his smart home [source: Lev-Ram]. Once a draw for the tech-savvy or the wealthy, smart homes and home automation are becoming more common. About $14 billion was spent on home networking in 2005, and analysts predict that figure will climb to more than $85 billion by 2011

Why are smart homes becoming more popular? Are they easy to operate? And why did that light just turn off behind me?

by: sara aljahdali