House-that-thinks

Smart Homes for Better Living

H.R. Girish, CEO, Vakil Housing Development Corporation

Technology has had a profound influence in almost all aspects of Modern living - Homes not being an exception. What was thought to be an imagination of 'Not-possible', a decade or two back, for example a ‘House-that-thinks’, is a reality now. Over the past 2-decades, World has seen an exponential growth in Technology application mainly because of the advent of ICT – Information and Communication Technology (read as the Internet?!!).

Today's Society is witnessing a marked departure from conventional living. Joint family concept has given way to Nuclear family. Both, Husband and Wife, going to work has become an extremely common phenomenon. This has led to increased income levels which in turn have a direct bearing on the disposable income resulting in increased spending and consumptive patterns. This in turn has created a huge boom across various segments of Industries such as Food, FMCG, Housing, Automobile, Recreation, Health, Banking, luxury-life-style, Travel and the like. Increased prosperity and disposable income levels have dramatically brought-in higher aspiration levels and resulted in better lifestyles. The term 'Better lifestyle' has become synonymous with a higher comfort of living, to begin with.

Comfortable Living

What does 'Comfortable Living' mean? This term implies different meanings depending on the perspective from which it is mentioned. Comfortable living, in terms of mobility, means better transportation, connectivity, better roads, safer traffic systems, trustable public-transport schedules and the like. Comfortable living, from Societal-disturbance and safer environment perspective, means a good law and order situation and a feel of being secure.  Like wise, Comfortable Living from a Home perspective means the various value additions of a home, which ensure a safe and secure environment and, in addition, a home which has real-time-information and ease-of-use systems built into its various attributes. In other words, a 'Smart Home' can be said to enhance comfortable living and thereby result in better quality of life with higher safety levels.

Home Automation

A few years back, not long ago, the automation of a home commenced from, and was restricted to, Water level controllers wherein simple sensors were placed between Underground water tank (Sump) and overhead water tank. Once the water level fell below a certain level in overhead water tank, it would trigger signal to the pump which in turn would pump water from underground sump to the over head tank. A second sensor was placed in the Sump whose function was to prevent pump from switching-on if water level was below the suction-foot-valve level thereby avoiding ‘burn-out’ of the pump. This technology was further extended to bore-well pumps as well. This is how, home-automation, began, from a humble beginning.

Over time, automation or smart-concepts made rapid strides into the domain of housing. Today, automation has extended to wider systems of a home such as Light controls, access control (Egress and Entry to a house), Fire detection, Electricity monitoring & control, Security information including Video Camera (CCTV), Burglar alarm system, Control of home appliances such as Refrigerators, Microwave, Washing Machine, Geysers (Electric Water heaters), Garage Door operation, Entrance gate operation etc. Pre-programmed Retractable sunshades over Window openings have also made their entry wherein depending on the direction of the Sun rays, they either retract or extend so as to offer shelter against direct Sun rays and glare, yet optimising natural-light harvesting. Therefore the modern home automation can broadly be classified under the following categories based on usage:

• Home Security
• Automation and Comfort products
• Safety devices

The best part about today’s home-automation or Smart-home systems is that all the above systems can be seamlessly integrated, monitored, programmed and controlled either from on-site (i.e. from any room within the home) or from a remote location. Versatile technologies have emerged and evolution and development of new Technologies continue. Technologies such as IP Based, POE (Power over Ethernet), wireless cameras, Routers, Customised software, specific-purpose-protocols, Gas sensors etc., have all made these possible.

Advantages

The various advantages through systems in a smart home and their intelligent-features are deliberated, in brief, herewith. The Air-conditioner can be switched on from a remote location by the Home user, using IP based systems just before he/she leaves office to return home. This ensures that the interior of the home provides for a cool and comfort ambience by the time the home-user arrives. Like wise, remote switching-on the water heater ensures that warm water is available the moment one returns home.

Coffee maker can be programmed to switch-on early in the morning so that one wakes up to freshly ground and steaming cup of aromatic hot coffee, not to mention the Coffee-maker setting-off the alarm to wake up the user to a choice of melodious music.

The Curtain sheets draw themselves away from the window when the first rays of the Sun incidents, early in the morning thereby ensuring morning sunlight streaming right into the room providing for natural warmth from the early Sun not to mention the disinfecting properties of the rays. The FM radio or preferred music comes on in the Shower panel/ cubicle in the bathroom, the moment one steps into it. The temperature of water is just right and cozy to ensure a nice warm and enjoyable bath.

The wardrobe doors automatically slide open when one approaches the wardrobe to fetch clothes. The packaged pre-cooked food, placed the night before in the woven, is warmed at the programmed breakfast time so that the user need not manually switch on the same. TV senses one's presence on the dining table and switches itself on to a pre-programmed channel. Voice interface helps the user in ordering the choice of channel on the TV, just by calling it out i.e. through voice recognition. In addition, the Top of Dining table can be made smart i.e. go digital wherein one can read a choice of virtual news papers available on the web. One can even leave notes for other family members to catch up on. When one exit his/her home, manual locking is not required as the same would have been replaced with Electronic locks which give out a warning if it is not properly secured. Wired and wireless cameras help one to virtually keep a physical watch round the clock from any part inside the house or from hundred of miles away. Any window left open, ensures alarm being sounded to the owner to secure it.

Plants and shrubs in the garden are watered through automatic sprinklers or drip-irrigation which comes on depending on the moisture content present in the soil, by the moisture sensors embedded, thereby saving valuable water yet ensuring vibrant growth of shrubs and plants.

The list can go on and on and cover almost the entire aspect of every corner and usage of the home. Video door phones and the like are passé today and considered a standard fitment to a modern home. Burglar alarm not only blare our alarm when there is a break-in but also alert the nearest police station and send SMS to multiple pre-defined phone numbers of the owner. Accidental fires alert the nearby fire station. Light sensors control the amount of light in a room and provide for various mood-lighting situations.

The concept of Garbage disposal, especially in Kitchen, has undergone a sea-change. Eco-friendly dish washing liquids and Garbage shredders fitted below the Kitchen sink ensure that waste food and vegetable peels are shredded to fine particles and disposed off along with used water, through plumbing lines, thereby negating huge pressure on conventional municipal garbage disposal through trucks and dump-areas. The method of disposal has also seen synergistic methods being used such as waste water with shredded waste are led into kitchen gardens thereby providing not only water to the plants but also nutrients. In some countries, these wastes are led into micro-biogas plants as well! Sustainability is gaining ground by the day and is finding wide acceptance readily.

Data Integration

Analytics, be if Forensic or Data, is yet another Technology based system which is gaining strategic adaptation in a Smart home. Analytics provide not only forensic data like camera-tampering but give vital statistical information like quantity of Electricity and water consumed including consumption pattern at various time zones across the day, week, and month. The day is not far away when the analytics are integrated with local billing network to ensure that Electricity and water bills are paid on line automatically depending on that month’s consumption. Similarly the analytics are not far away when the refrigerator and hi-tech Kitchen storeroom alert the local grocer of exhausted groceries in the home!!

Another example of application of this Technology i.e. Data Analytics, is that, it is possible to infer the frequency and no. of times an appliance, or an amenity in a house is being used thereby giving a vital decision making capability to the user. For example, if lights in certain parts of a home are being used more frequently than others, then at the time of replacement, the home owner can decide to switch to Solar lighting thereby saving on expensive electric bills as well as being more eco-friendly. Though Solar lighting may add to the initial cost of investment, but over time the cost of ownership becomes a distinct advantage. Therefore the Data Analytics contribute to smart decisions by Home user.

The various systems can be interfaced through various devices such as Touch screen, Smart phones, Internet, Laptops, Tablets/ipad etc.

Installation

Having briefly articulated about the various systems that can be incorporated in a home so as to make it a smart home, one wonders as to how to go about installing all these. The answer lies in proper planning, to begin with. Though it is not essential that smart systems can be planned only for new homes, it can be incorporated in existing home as well, but with certain limitations though depending on wiring and circuitry. This article focuses more on the aspects to be considered while planning a new home though. The essence of successful installation and operation lies in proper planning which means better understanding of your needs and correlating with systems that are appropriate and available in the 'market'.

One needs to understand that as the concept of smart systems is relatively new, it would be prudent not to unduly over load on the number of systems. Choose only that automation which you require; to help you make the decision, group them into two groups, namely the 'Must-have' and the ‘Nice-to-have’. Under the Must-have category, one could perhaps choose vital and important systems like gas leak detection devices in Kitchen, Security-video door phone at entrance, CCTV camera, water level controller etc. Please ensure that proper location is identified for locating and housing the hardware of these systems and decide on a proper routing of conduits of adequate size for hardwiring. It would be prudent to run additional conduit or an oversized conduit along with primary conduit that is required. This is just in case there is a need to add or modify gadgets at a future date; the infrastructure is already planned for and available for the same. Also, it would be prudent to hardwire for those systems in the 'nice-to-have' category so that as and when the same are procured at a later date, they can be 'plug-and-play'.

Guide Lines

Following are the most important aspects to be remembered while taking a decision on various smart-home-systems:

• Always choose systems either from reputed or time-tested brands.
• Ensure that installation is carried out by trained technicians.
• Always use proper sizing of conduits and wires; do not under-rate or over-rate.
• Always insist on as-built drawings from the installer, duly signed by him.
• Always insist on product literature, operating manual and service-centre contact details.
• Always ensure that while you negotiate for procurement of the system, it would be wise to negotiate the AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract), as well, as this will provide good leverage for a better deal (pricing).
• Clearly understand from the equipment provider as to where the spare parts would be available and get more information about the service network. Also, make sure that the manufacturer/dealer doesn’t “disappear” when the going gets tough!
• Once installed, ensure periodic maintenance as per recommended procedure.
• Always strive to use products that are certified for safety and their eco-friendliness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a fine balance has to be struck between the comforts offered by installing various smart-systems vis-a-vis practical utility of the same to the end user. The Smart-home systems come at a wide price band – beginning with Affordable prices and scaling up to more pricier and expensive systems. Therefore one has to be prudent to decide on the budget as the systems have to be actively used and enjoyed to unlock their value; else it will be a sheer waste of one’s hard-earned money and sometimes even turns into a nightmare if sufficient time is not spent to understand as to how to program and control them. Also, one has to be aware that the Smart-Home systems entail regular maintenance and one of the easier and effective ways to doing this is to get an AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) with an authorised vendor/ service provider, at genuine and reasonable prices. Therefore, as a first step towards having a Smart-Home, educating oneself about various systems that are available, would be a good starter. This should be followed by gathering of information about experiences of present users through one’s own network and various feedbacks including the manufacturers and dealers credibility and customer-centric approach. Today’s work-place calls for hard-work and stretched working hour; therefore, it makes more sense to reward one’s self to  a more enjoyable and comfortable living though Smart-homes!

About the Author:

Mr.H.R.Girish is a well known and experienced professional in the Construction and Housing Industry. With a Distinction in Civil Engineering and two post-graduate qualifications - one each from IIM-Bangalore and NALSAR-Hyderabad - Girish has successfully executed and commissioned projects across various segments of the Construction Industry be it Housing, Commercial, Corporate Office-complexes, Industrial and Infrastructure projects. He is an active contributor to professional magazines and journals.  His deep passion for application of latest technologies to the professional practice is in addition to his main occupation of managing Strategic Business Unit with stress on operational vibrancy and good Corporate Governance. Human Resource Training, Mentoring, Environment and Social Responsibility are the other aspects he is closely involved in. Mr.H.R.Girish is presently the CEO of Vakil Housing Development Corporation, Bangalore. He can be contacted on:  iimbgirish@gmail.com