AI & IoT Home Automation- Driving Intelligence and Automation in Smart Homes

The automation and control of devices that make up a smart home are referred to as Home Automation. They simplify our daily tasks, secure homes, cut down utility costs, and save our environment. Smart home technologies once considered a luxury, are gradually becoming a necessity. With around 44% of homes in the U.S. using smart home devices in 2023, pretty soon, home automation could become a standard procedure during the construction of new homes.

With Home automation, we can:

• Monitor devices using an app. For example, a user can view the live feed from a smart security camera.
• Control devices remotely, like zooming in to see more of a space.
• Automate devices to trigger one another, like having a siren go off when there’s a burglary.

---

How Does Home Automation System Work?

Communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and others connect a network of IoT devices to each other and to the Internet. Mobile Apps or Controllers like Google Assistant or Alexa are used to manage the devices from a distance. Sensors installed in the IoT devices track changes in temperature, movement, light, etc., and trigger actuators, like smart switches, valves, or motors that then perform the automated response to a shift in environmental conditions.

Home Automation System Components

• Remote Control- This can be done using mobile apps or voice assistants. Apps allow users to control their devices in real-time. They can set schedules, and customize device settings. Voice assistants use voice to control the devices. Alexa is Amazon’s voice assistant that’s integrated into a number of smart home devices. Google Assistant is Google’s voice assistant, and it can understand and answer queries accurately.
• Control Protocols- IoT devices are connected to the cloud and one another using a control protocol like Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, ZigBee, or Bluetooth. Wi-Fi is by far the most common control protocol. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2) encryption provides security for home users, but a number of IoT devices connected to Wi-Fi may slow down its speed. Battery consumption is also a concern, as Wi-Fi consumes more power when compared to other technologies. Advanced smart homes might require a mesh network like Z-Wave or ZigBee.

Smart Home Ecosystem

Choosing a “smart home ecosystem” is the first step toward home automation. A choice to go with Amazon or Google will determine which voice assistant to use, making it easier to identify the IoT devices that will comply with the chosen system.

Cyber Safety in the Span of Smart Homes

Security breaches in smart homes becoming more and more common. Whereas, many manufacturers are making their IoT devices less prone to cyber-attacks.

Applications of Home Automation System

Home automation is most commonly used for lighting control, kitchen appliances, security systems, outside grass irrigation, and so on.

• Smart lighting controls light switches, blinds, and lamps. We can schedule the times when lights need to be turned ON or OFF, decide which rooms need to be lit at particular times, select the intensity of lighting, adjust motion sensitivity, etc.
• AI and machine learning models can predict and optimize energy usage to help homeowners save money and help build a more sustainable planet. Smart thermostats and automated home heating systems understand a homeowner’s heating and cooling preferences. They can reduce the heat when a room is unoccupied, and vary the temperature based on the time of day, occupancy, or environmental conditions. If the air conditioner starts consuming more electricity than its preset levels, the AI can recognize the problem and call a technician for repair.
• Smart refrigerators can keep an inventory of items and send alerts when there’s any shortage or expiry. It can suggest recipes based on the contents of a refrigerator. Smart ovens can automatically preheat to the correct temperature depending on the recipe. Smart sensors can watch out for smoke and carbon monoxide as well as temperature and humidity levels in kitchens. Emergency notification systems using home automation sensors and real-time monitoring software can help stop fires, explosions, water leaks, and gas leaks.
• Smart locks along with door and window sensors, motion detectors, and video surveillance security cameras, enable easy access to real-time information on home security. According to our analysis, the sales of smart locks is predicted to reach more than 25 million units by the end of the year 2023.
• Americans, on average, end up wasting about 4 billion gallons of water per day because of inefficient watering systems. Smart sprinkler control systems can regulate water usage with access to local weather data. If there are rains, the automated sprinkler disables its scheduled watering. When it is notified of dry conditions, the system will supply the required amount of water, without going overboard and creating wastage. Smart home systems will be able to capture, treat, store, and reuse rain and wastewater.
• Smart Doors use facial recognition technology to unlock homes. It is possible to set the doors to open at your approach and close at your departure. Smart windows and shutters may be set to open or close at predetermined times of the day. These devices may be activated by weather events including rain, snow, storms, or strong winds. Innovative contactless doorbells have been developed so that visitors need not touch communal surfaces that can potentially harbor germs.
• Smart toilets use sensors to examine waste and deliver information to users about their health and notify them about any potential problems. AI-powered home automation systems can learn about residents’ tastes and preferences in music and automatically play the right playlist at the right time.

---

Home Automation – A Global Outlook

It is anticipated that the home automation industry will surpass USD 130 billion in the coming years. The market's expansion is supported by lifestyle changes and the increasing use of home automation devices outfitted with modern technologies, such as M2M communications, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT). As per estimates, there will be more than 300 million smart homes worldwide in the next few years. The US was a pioneer in the global smart home market and is still leading the demand for home automation and its expansion. The adoption of smart entertainment technologies and rising homeownership are expected to drive the sales of home automation devices in the region. Apart from the US, UK and German-speaking nations are expected to see the fastest growth in home automation systems. Austria, Germany, and Switzerland in Europe value energy and natural resources conservation. Given the current political and economic climate in countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, security is given the topmost priority. However, with rising utility costs, many are desperate to save money by deploying smart home solutions. Since a majority of homes are old and the meters are outdated, large-scale automation will be a herculean task in the coming years. Asian nations including Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea are also expressing interest in smart homes. The market for smart homes in this region is expected to reach USD 79 billion. The United Arab Emirates is a booming market for smart home automation solutions. There’s a lot of emphasis on climate control in buildings because of the high temperatures in the region.

---

To sum it all up

We are on the cusp of technological breakthroughs in home automation, the prospects of which are highly invigorating as well as intimidating. With so many IoT devices being launched every single day, the sky is the limit for building smart, secure, and sustainable homes and planet.