The Future of the Smart House Movement

 Smart Houses  

As exponential technological growth continues, we are increasingly seeing changes to our homes.  In this article, guest writer Lauren Johnson looks at some of the elements of the 'smart home.'

Y
ou and your family just arrived at the luxurious hotel suite that you booked for your family vacation, but something's bothering you and you just can't figure it out. As your wife excitedly points out the fantastic view, you realize what's wrong: you completely forgot to engage your security system before traveling 500 miles away. Instead of panicking and calling your nearest neighbor, however, you just laugh to yourself. With your smartphone, your security system is just a few seconds away from being completely engaged.

What is a "Smart House"?

Much like a "smart television," a smart house features a variety of applications and automation that can control. Huffington Post even suggests that the technology be used on something as mundane as a toothbrush and toothpaste. Until recently, the dream of a smart house was mostly distant because of technological issues. There was not a cohesive network through which these individual applications could interact. As an example, a cooling system needed to be managed and installed separately from a security system. Cloud technology, however, may very well pave a path to a truly unified smart house system.

Image Source: http://www.wisesupport.net/products/home-automation-systems/

Security Advantages of a Smart House

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The first smart house designs were focused heavily on the security aspects of a home. A smart house can be remotely locked and unlocked. Some of these homes even have proximity sensors that can open garage doors as the homeowner nears. Smart houses can have surveillance systems which are accessible remotely and they can even feature a certain amount of automation, such as the ability to lock and unlock pet doors on a schedule. As noted by SecurityCompanies.com, however, a security system can also do much more than just secure a home. It can also control temperatures and lighting within a home based on the presence of the owner.

Smart Appliances

As noted in Engadget, there is also a push by many appliance manufacturers to get smart features put into appliances, with the overall goal being to create a single, centralized network. Refrigerators could automatically order products when inventory is running low and an oven could potentially display recipes or send you an alert once something is done. Electronic pantries could even alert you to sales on products that you tend to buy often.

Centralization is the Sticking Point

The technology is there for a truly automated home, but it hasn't advanced further because of the need for separate applications and technology for each individual device. Homeowners need to check one application for their security system, another for their heating system, another for their television's recording feature and finally another to check on their refrigerator. This is why many manufacturers are fighting to create a single line of products that can link all possible home automation features, and it is very likely that this type of centralization will be achieved within the next few years.

By Lauren Johnson

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Author Bio - Lauren is a homemaker who volunteers for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She hopes her efforts will help her loved ones do everything they can to prevent breast cancer.