Smart Home - Universal Automation
The term "Smart Home" today is called a room in which there are several connected electronic devices and electrical appliances, specially programmed to perform certain actions. Their task is to save money, energy and user efforts.
Such a system is sometimes also called "home automation", and its simple manifestations are present in many modern homes. An example of such a "primitive" system is automatic garage doors.
The smart systems of today are much more advanced. They can include several devices at once, which can be controlled via the Internet. It all started with the idea of the so-called Internet of Things (Internet of Things) - a wide network of smart devices that can collect and analyze data and make decisions on their own.
One of the first appeared security and alarm systems, which using sensors determine, for example, whether the door was opened. If you do not enter a secret password when the sensor is triggered, the system can give an alarm and notify special services.
Today's home security systems fit in the palm of your hand, and you can control them from anywhere and anytime using your smartphone. Examples of such systems are Cocoon, Piper, Kibbi, which have a microphone, speaker, siren and an automatic security on / off system based on the readings of the GPS sensor of the mobile device. Sometimes such devices are able to "learn" about activity in nearby rooms.
An integral part of home security systems are smart video surveillance systems. A small camcorder is a small server with its own Internet address. With the advent of the smart home, it has become possible to carry out video surveillance from any distance, and not only in the immediate vicinity, as before. The production of such devices is carried out by many suppliers, among which are Smarthome, Insteon, Q-See.
Insteon and Smarthome cameras
According to Statista.com, in 2015 the Russian security systems market is estimated at $ 8.8 million, and by 2020 this amount will increase to $ 59 million. If we touch on the number of dwellings with smart security systems, then today this figure is 28 thousand houses, and by 2020, according to forecasts, it will grow to 240 thousand.
Revenues of the security systems market in Russia and the number of houses equipped with such systems The
functionality of such systems can be expanded by fire alarm systems that inform you of smoke, fire, excess levels of carbon dioxide or other gas, such as methane.
However, smart homes are able to provide not only security, but also human comfort. Audio / video components installed throughout the home can be controlled from a single device, such as a smartphone or tablet.
This is the so-called Multiroom system. The user can listen to music in any room and even “carry” it with him from room to room. Such smart systems also allow you to program the inclusion of a music center or TV at a certain time, say, when you come home from work.
According to Statista.com, in 2015 the market for smart home entertainment systems in Russia is estimated at $ 10.3 million. By 2020, this amount could grow to $ 70 million. The number of houses should increase from 31 thousand to 350 thousand.
Market revenue of smart home entertainment systems in Russia and the number of houses equipped with such systems.
Such solutions can control lighting in different parts of a house or apartment, adapting to the mood of the owner. In general, lighting control is one of the first areas in which a smart home began to develop.
Today, a large number of such systems and devices are available - these are smart switches, light bulbs , touch or keypads, light and presence sensors.
For example, Nanoleaf offers smart diode lamps that can be controlled using a smartphone, either manually or by voice, while Belkin supplies smart switches. With the help of “ smart light”»The user can adjust the illumination as he wishes, for example, when it is dark, turn on the light in the courtyard of the house and turn it off at dawn.
If a person wants the light to turn on when entering the bathroom and turn off when leaving it, then a motion sensor will help here, connected to the switch, which would send the appropriate signals. Options for combinations of sensors and smart devices are just the sea.
Nanoleaf lamps
According to Statista.com, in 2015 the Russian market for lighting automation systems, as well as other sensors and sensors, in Russia is estimated at $ 20 million, and by 2020 this amount should increase to 108 million (the number of houses equipped with these systems, by 2020, according to forecasts, will be equal to 400 thousand).
Revenue from the market for lighting automation systems in Russia and the number of houses equipped with such systems.
Air conditioning, heating and ventilation systems are important elements of comfort. The costs of heating and cooling apartments are becoming more noticeable every year, and there is no doubt that devices that can help save money on this will soon occupy their niche in the market.
Several advanced programmable thermostats have already entered the market, allowing you to control several heating and air conditioning systems at once. For example, Nest is the brainchild of a company acquired by Google, whose sales have already exceeded one million, as well as ecobee3, tado, Honeywell.
In the photo: ecobee3
Such devices can significantly save money on electricity. Many of them are configured and controlled remotely using a smartphone, and also keep statistics on energy consumption, having studied which, you can figure out how to save more. Moreover, such systems can heat different areas of the house in different ways, depending on where you spend most of the time.
According to Statista.com, in 2015 the Russian market for smart air conditioning and heating systems is estimated at $ 9.9 million; by 2020, this amount is projected to grow to $ 58 million. The number of homes with smart air conditioning systems today is 55 thousand; by 2020, their number should increase to 330 thousand.
The revenue of the air conditioning and heating market in Russia and the number of houses equipped with such systems.
The most interesting thing is that these revolutionary devices and systems come with their own applications and control hubs. If you buy several such systems, it’s best to immediately buy some kind of cabinet where you will place all the blinking, “blinking” and picking control minicenters.
This is not to mention the fact that a huge number of applications will appear on your smartphone that will need to be constantly opened, closed and configured. Is it that in the process of general automation our life should not have become a little easier?
Of course, on the market you can find integrated solutions offered by large companies, but such systems are quite expensive. Moreover, their installation often requires the intervention of professionals. To solve this unpleasant problem, devices appeared on the market that made it possible to independently introduce a smart system at home.
One example is the Iris automation system from Lowe, which can be used to build a simple and scalable solution. It makes it possible to combine an unlimited number of devices in a single interface (more than 50 items are supported) to manage them with a single application. The system supports ZigBee and Z-Wave data transfer standards. As additional examples, SmartThings and Insteon solutions are systems based on a central hub to which sets of devices for various purposes can be connected.
Inner World SmartThings
Hub Insteon Hub
Using the accompanying software, the user can carry out the initial configuration of devices. After that, the hub turns into a tool that allows you to control and manage home automation from anywhere in the world - it combines the work of door locks, temperature sensors, window open and close sensors, smart sockets, lighting systems, fire alarm and movement sensors (in particular, Insteon can even control the “lava lamp”).
In addition, it acts as a warning system: for example, if a leakage sensor works in the house, the hub will immediately notify it by e-mail, or through a proprietary application. In general, the key task of the hub is to turn your smartphone into a universal home control panel.
These systems and their additional components began to be successfully sold in retail chains (large chains such as Yulmart and Amazon are already selling). This approach to building a smart home "in parts" allows you to build a decent automation system gradually, without spending a lot of money right away. It’s as if you are buying Lego sets as needed, creating your dream home.