"were used in the last century. Like some other technical innovations in household use, they passed from military competence, where they were actively used in secret bunkers and military bases.
Smart home is an automated coordinator of all technical devices that your home is equipped with.
For a long time, housing with technically advanced control systems remained an incredibly expensive whim of the elite. And it is only in the last decade that concepts that were previously known to us only from science fiction films are actually being implemented and become available.
What technical devices are commonly used in a modern apartment?
- Lighting systems;
- Air conditioning, purification and humidification systems;
- Audio-video equipment;
- Security equipment and other functions.
The capabilities of a smart home, like the functions of a conductor, ensure the coordinated work of all the constituent elements and allow the owners to conveniently control the "orchestra".
"Brains" of a smart home
They are really technically advanced - microprocessor controllers provide information processing and control of specific elements. Uninterrupted power supply is provided by power supplies and UPS, information is transmitted via IR transceivers, relay models turn on and off Appliances, dimming modules regulate the smoothness of the lighting control.
- General management of all smart home functions occurs using remote control panels.
Such panels exist in the form of stationary and portable models. Portable video panels are the most convenient to use due to their mobility and the ability to visually control the necessary processes. The control panel function can also be performed by a computer, Internet tablet, smartphone, and similar devices.
- you can manage technical equipment your apartment and exercise general control from anywhere in the world using the Internet.
With the help of a microprocessor controller, the owners of the apartment can program the execution of the tasks (scenarios) they need.
Scenarios can be simple - turning on the air conditioner when reaching certain temperature air or complex - turning on the TV while closing the curtains and adjusting the local lighting.
Smart home subsystems
A smart home is divided into separate subsystems, the main ones being lighting, home theater, multiroom, climate control, and security.
Let's consider each in more detail.
Lighting system
Controls individual luminaires and their groups, sets desired mode work, adjusts the degree of illumination. Using the remote control, you can turn off unused in this moment light sources and, conversely, turn on in the right places. Remotely, you can create the illusion that the owners are in the house by setting the scenario for turning on the lights in some rooms.
System Capabilities:
- control of all light sources in the house from a single control panel;
- creation of control scripts depending on time, date, specific event;
- adjustment of switching on and off of lamps;
- brightness percentage adjustment;
- saving the resource of lamps;
- automatically turn on the lights when entering and turn off when leaving the room.
Climate control
The system controls devices intended for air conditioning, heating, purification, humidification, and air ventilation. Coordinated operation of all devices in a given mode is ensured. Provided remote control climate in the apartment, for example, the possibility of establishing comfortable temperature to the arrival of the owners.
System Capabilities:
- control of heating and air conditioning devices using a single control panel;
- control of heating and air conditioning devices depending on the season, time, date, specific event;
- the presence of temperature and humidity sensors, depending on the readings of which, certain mechanisms that regulate the climate are triggered.
Home theater and multiroom
The system controls devices for playing video and audio signals (TVs, Blu-ray players), as well as related equipment: blinds, curtains, lighting in the viewing room, creating a special comfort when watching movies.
The multiroom system is responsible for the condition of all audio and video equipment in the entire apartment. With it, you can watch TV shows and movies, listen to music and radio channels anywhere in the house equipped with necessary kit technology.
System Capabilities:
- control of all AV equipment in the house using a single control panel;
- control of the "home theater" system by pressing one button;
- smooth control of lighting on and off;
- turning on and off AV equipment depending on the date, time, a specific event, the operation of sensors, pressing the bell.
Safety system
A multifunctional system that promptly responds to all "alarm signals" in the house, provides remote control over the events taking place in the house, turns on the alarm system, controls fire safety, as well as security in the field of communal house systems.
System Capabilities:
- security and fire alarm, which can turn on automatically after the owners leave the house;
- remote control or cell phone;
- notification to a remote computer or mobile phone about emergency situations;
- protection of several zones;
- control of access to the premises, including remote control;
- alarm system to prevent water leakage and flooding;
- alarm system to prevent leakage of electricity and gas.
Preparing to install a smart home
Installation complex system smart House - not an easy task. It is necessary to start solving it as early as possible, preferably at the stage of designing a future home. thinking through future system must be produced in cooperation with the owners of the architect, designer and designer of the smart home system. It is very important to think ahead necessary functions to be automated.
- what lighting schemes do you intend to use?
- how many luminaires are you going to use in different areas, what types of luminaires?
- what scenarios are supposed to be used (night lighting, air conditioners stop working when a window is opened, etc.)
- which rooms will be included in climate control systems or multiroom?
- where will the smoke detectors and leaks be located?
- where will the surveillance cameras and intercom be placed?
- How will it be more convenient for you to control: from a mobile or stationary remote control?
Smart home system equipment
Main manufacturers:
- AMX, Crestron (USA)
- ABB, Gira (Germany)
- Legrand, Schneider Electric (France)
The equipment can be used as wired (reliable, safe, expensive, pre-installed) and wireless (less reliable, the possibility of signal distortion and interception, installation after repair).
When purchasing equipment, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer and quality, which largely depends on the assembly. Luxury equipment is much more expensive, but differs in specialized programming, individual design, convenient and functional control panel.
Joint work with the installer of the smart home system will not end after its installation. In the future, it is quite possible that you will want to upgrade it with new products.
Since the installation of a smart home system is carried out at the initial stage of a major overhaul, it is very important that all work is done accurately, efficiently and on time. It is this high-class work that you are guaranteed in the construction company "TopDom".
Materials on the topic of the article
About how the Belarusian company "Nero Electronics" started manufacturing components for a smart home. They took the matter seriously and even turned to Lebedev's studio, where they helped with the design of Belarusian devices. Key difference system, according to the manufacturer, is that it can be mounted independently without special skills. It is enough to be a moderately brutal man who knows how to hold a screwdriver in his hands and cling to the stepladder with his feet. We decided to test for ourselves how easy or difficult it is now to make ordinary apartment smart.
Understanding what and why you need is seemingly simple. It is enough to figure out how many points in the house need to be “wised up”, after which you can order devices. You will definitely need a server that will be responsible for setting up and managing the smart home from the application. Next - a bunch of sensors, remotes and relays. As it turned out, the issue must be approached responsibly. We, for example, scored devices with too much stock. Before moving on to the very process of teaching an apartment different smart things, first let's see what these devices are for.
Smart gadgets for a stupid apartment
Let's clarify that the system supports third-party sensors using the z-wave plus protocol with a frequency of 869 MHz. Belarusians do not have their own sensors, the company offers Polish Fibaro. If desired, you can connect any other sensors with a more humane price.
Server Oledo 7767 Host
The almost intelligent “head” of our house, which connects the command executors into a network, processes their indicators and allows you to control the system through an application via Wi-Fi or mobile Internet. There is support for GSM - you can install a SIM card so that the server sends SMS to the phone about certain events or receives commands through the same text messages to start some actions. But messages can also come directly to the application, so you can safely do without SMS.
The black box is equipped with a 500MHz processor, RAM 512 MB and 4 GB storage. There is a battery that, according to the specifications, allows the device to last about 8 hours without being connected to the mains. The screen displays the current state of the server. Useful to find out the source of the problem in case of a lack of communication with the system.
Door and window opening sensor
We saw exactly the same or similar sensor for both y and y. The point is simple. There are two cylinders in one set - one is installed, for example, on door leaf, and the second - on the door jamb. The sensors touched - it means that the door is closed, disconnected - it is open.
The larger one is attached with 3M double-sided adhesive tape, and the “baby” can be magnetized to the metal surface of the door frame.
Water leakage sensor
We are also familiar with such a thing since the review of the smart home from Beltelecom. You can place the sensor in a place of potential danger (for example, in the bathroom or in the kitchen). Leakage is determined when moisture closes three metal legs. Additionally, the sensor is able to determine the temperature in the room.
Set and forget
Light, temperature and motion sensor
But this “eye” is already much more interesting. It is on this contraption that many smart home scenarios will be tied. For example, when the illumination level decreases relative to the set value, the lamp can automatically turn on. Has the temperature risen? We turn on the air conditioner. Did the person leave the room? Turn off all light sources. All three parameters can and should be combined.
The "eye" is attached to the plastic arc. It can be hung, for example, somewhere in the corner of the room, after which the sensor is placed there. And you can bet on any flat surface- the frame will hold thanks to the flat "heel".
remote control button
Also seen before. You can remotely and wirelessly turn on or off the light or outlet. The device seemed to us of little use due to the presence of more interesting options smart home system control. But it can come in handy if you need an inconspicuous switch, for example, in the bathroom. Attaches with double sided tape.
Oledo Wall Mount
The same device that we preferred to the remote control button. With the help of a two-channel remote control, you can turn on / off the light or start and stop the execution of a particular scenario. Despite the simple description of functionality, in fact, this is a very nice thing that replaces the usual switches. This is because the Oledo is not tied to a wiring outlet - it is wireless and can be located anywhere. At least fill the whole room with such remotes.
There is a soft light indication of pressing. The remote control is attached to a flat wall holder, which, in turn, is attached to the wall with double-sided tape.
Oledo portable remote control
The same beautiful thing as a wall remote, but more advanced. Here you can already manage five objects. For example, a group of lamps in the hall, bedroom, kitchen, hallway, bathroom and toilet. Initially, the remote control has a sticker with hints. If you remove it, you will be left with a beautiful, minimalistically designed, but not very clear device. We got used to the location and purpose of the buttons for a couple of days, using the prompts on the film.
The device is equipped with an accelerometer. When you take the remote control in your hand, it automatically highlights the last active channel. The device can be left anywhere - just like a TV remote control. But in order to bring a little organization to life, the Belarusian manufacturer has provided a square magnetic holder. It, as you already understood, can be attached anywhere with adhesive tape, and then magnetize the remote control. Experimentally, it was found that Oledo is "friendly" with any metal surface even with a refrigerator.
Remote in film
Remote without film
Smart Relay Intro
Here is the most necessary device for a smart home. It is thanks to him that automation of the work of lamps and sockets is possible. The bottom line is that the device is actually built into the existing circuit, taking control of turning something on and off. On the example of a lamp, everything looks like this: network wires are connected to Intro on one side, and wires from a chandelier or sconce on the other. After that, it will be possible to control the light source, underfloor heating and other electrical appliances both using a wireless remote control and through the application.
Embedded Oledo Remote
This device is needed in order to maintain the functionality of existing switches. The fact is that after installing the Intro relay, the lamp will no longer respond to the standard switch - it will be possible to control it only through the "Lebedev" remotes or a smartphone. The built-in remote control is installed in the mounting cup of the switch and connected to it.
In our opinion, so-so device. Still, if we make a smart home, then first of all we rely on new ways of managing it. And Oledo's built-in remote actually offers to keep what we already had. However, Nero Electronics notes that most people, on the contrary, strive to maintain the functionality of existing switches. This is understandable if we are talking about a ready-made design repair, which provided for the presence of a specific type of switches.
Note that all devices are wireless and communicate with each other via radio. This should greatly facilitate installation compared to the usual wired systems. Well, let's move from theory to practice.
And why am I not an electrician?
Setting up sensors and installing a server is easy. Remembering the experience with connecting a smart home from Beltelecom, we first set ourselves up for a long and full of bugs procedure. But no - the server "starts up" and finds the network via WPS within a minute.
In the same way, sensors, remotes, relays and other good things “jump” into the application installed on the smartphone. Somewhere you need to read the QR code from the box of the device, somewhere you additionally press the button hidden in the sensor.
But with the installation, people with improperly growing hands may have problems. In Nero Electronics, they believe that it will take an average man about 7 minutes to install one point for a handy man. I have to admit to my own "non-handiness" - in our case, it took more time. No, the same “eye” with motion, temperature and light sensors was taken and placed or hung where the soul wishes - there are no questions here. Or an opening / closing sensor - glued it on an adhesive tape and clap your hands.
But the relay ... Yes, there is a simple video instruction, but in life the most unexpected circumstances can interfere with you. Stretch ceiling, short stature and a small stepladder, no screwdriver right size, all these tinting of "phase", "earth" and "zero" ... And if you come across a tricky lamp with a bunch of "extra" wires, then it's quite a disaster.
True, over time, the necessary “skills” are pumped over, and the work is simplified. It took me about 30 minutes to automate the first point in the bedroom. This is taking into account the nuances in the form of finding the right tools and finding out the reasons why it didn’t work the first time. Here we met with important nuance, which was mentioned above. Once you connect the Intro smart relay to a luminaire, it will no longer be possible to control it with a conventional switch.
In order to leave the functionality of the switch, it must be disconnected from the power supply and connected to the Oledo built-in remote control. At first I did that, but then I decided that it was superfluous. Instead, I reconnected the switch to the mains and left it in the on position. At the same time, the light did not turn on, but the lamp began to respond to commands from the smart remote control and the application. Automation also kicked in. That is precisely why the built-in remote control in our case turned out to be superfluous.
ON
It seems to be something complicated - take it and automate everything around, get smarter with the house! But for this you will have to master the application, and this is not as easy as it seems. The interface of the program seems to be confusing from the habit, many actions are scattered across different menus. For example, to set up a timer relay, you need to go to a separate menu, although, in our opinion, it would be logical to duplicate the same functionality when programming events.
The difference between events and scripts, administrator and super-administrator rights is not entirely obvious. In all this, it is unlikely that you will be able to understand the theory - you need to master the wide, but intricate possibilities of the application directly in the process of teaching your home. It also doesn't hurt to check with the manufacturer.
Wishlist
We have a standard two-room apartment. Silly as a cork. The task is to turn the dwelling from a dull cave into spaceship, which will not be able to fly into space, but at least slightly simplify our everyday life.
After some thought, after studying the capabilities of a smart home from Nero Electronics, it was decided to do the following:
- In the hallway, the light should turn on automatically when a person enters the apartment, as well as when he moves at dusk. Without human participation, all good things must also be turned off.
- Bathroom. It's simple: went in - the light turned on, went out - went out.
- There are more light sources in the hall. It was decided not to touch the main light with automation, leaving the opportunity to illuminate the room to its fullest using a portable remote control. Two floor lamps should be switched on in low natural light conditions and in the presence of a person.
- Balcony. This room is small, but advanced. It is equipped with a full-fledged office with a computer, a squiggly lamp and a warm floor. The task is to turn on the heating at temperatures below 19 degrees, provided that there is a person here, that is, me.
Let us clarify that the described case of apartment automation is not the most ideal in terms of possibilities. So, in the test version of housing there was no air conditioning, electrovalves blocking the water, roller blinds. Imagine how the curtains themselves rise and fall depending on a given threshold value of illumination. The same air conditioner can heat or cool the room by the arrival of the owner. If there are children, then for them you can set the work of the set-top box, computer and TV according to the schedule. All this is cool, but our tasks were more trivial.
Reality
We start making dreams come true from the hallway. We install an open / close sensor on the door and slope. In the application, we prescribe the condition: if the sensor detects the opening of the door (at the same time, the illumination is below 100 lux and there is movement), the lamp turns on. Works! To automatically turn off the light, a timer was set in the relay settings - 5 minutes. It's more than enough to take outerwear. Or you can do it without a timer - by setting automatic shutdown when there is no movement in the hallway.
The light in the hallway also turns on when motion is detected, if the illumination is below 100 lux. Turns off if there is no movement.
From the hallway, everything was automated with a bang. The bathroom is more difficult. Install a second open/close sensor. Light up the opening - done! But how do you pay it off when you're out? Do you turn off the light when you close the door? Then you won't be able to close the bathroom door when you go in. Maybe add a motion sensor? Here it is necessary to make a technical explanation. As soon as the sensor has detected movement, it makes the next poll of the situation in 30 seconds. If at this moment you are lying relaxed in the bath, no movement will be detected and the light will go out.
But what if you program the light off to open the door too? Perhaps the system will sequentially execute different commands in a chain? That is, at first, as soon as you open the sash to go in to take a shower, the lamp will turn on. And the shutdown command will work a second time when you are already leaving. Alas, but no - in this situation, the lamp turns on sequentially and immediately turns off at the first operation of the opening sensor.
As a result, they found such a way out: when entering the bathroom, the light turns on automatically using an open / close sensor. But we turn it off ourselves through the Oledo remote control.
The heating of the balcony turned out very well. True, during testing, the temperature there did not fall below 19 degrees, so for the sake of the experiment, a threshold value of 23 degrees was set. You go onto the balcony, the sensor detects the movement and the temperature of 22 degrees - the warm floor immediately turns on. As soon as the temperature rises to 23 degrees, the heating is turned off.
We thought that the following problem might arise: you are sitting on the balcony at the computer, the temperature has reached 23 degrees - the warm floor is turned off, the temperature drops, but the sensor does not detect movement and you start to freeze slowly. As practice has shown, you will not sit at a computer completely motionless. Let the “eye” not detect you immediately, but still find you, and an extra few seconds or even minutes in this case do not matter - the system will work and will not leave you alone with frost-covered windows.
It is important to note that the sensor, as in all similar systems, reacts to pets. Therefore, if your cat in the absence of the owner looks at outdoor balcony, the system will turn on the heating for it. And you may end up with a nasty electricity bill at the end of the month. If we are dealing with a clearly normalized working day, then as a way out of the situation, you can set the schedule for turning on the underfloor heating. For example, the event does not fire on weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm.
When automating the lighting of the hall again had to compromise. The inclusion of floor lamps, depending on the illumination and when moving, works fine. I had to forget about the automatic shutdown again. Imagine that you are watching TV. On the sofa. Lying or sitting. There is really little movement. In general, it all comes down to the fact that the system will constantly turn on and off the floor lamps. They say that the issue is solved by installing a second motion sensor at the exit from the hall, but we have not yet been able to verify this.
We automate the lamp in the bedroom
In addition to everything planned, they made a smart socket to turn off the TV remotely (just to have it). All lighting as a separate scenario was tied to a portable remote control, which was installed at front door. They pressed one button before exiting - and everything is de-energized. But even if they didn’t, the status of a smart home can be tracked anywhere via the Internet. In the same way, you can manage individual objects.
Impression
The possibilities of a smart home are much more than those that we have described. We got the impression that the system will be of more interest to owners large apartments and spacious private houses, stuffed with various kinds of home and climate technology. Add here a couple of cameras for video surveillance (Belarusians do not produce cameras, but almost any model with Wi-Fi should be suitable), electric drives for roller shutters or roller blinds and smart relays in each socket or lamp - and here we have a ready-made system.
As for a small city apartment, at first retraining it into a smart one seems like a far-fetched idea. But gradually you get used to even small amenities. We, for example, really enjoyed using both the wall-mounted and portable remote controls.
During the testing of a smart home from Nero Electronics, we noticed several features that are important to consider. So, the presence of a pet will become an obstacle to creating simple algorithm. You will have to strain your imagination, use several sensors at once so that the smart home outwits the cat, or carefully look for such an installation angle that would not capture a pet sneaking across the laminate.
The NeroHome application is still damp. It's not even about usability, it's about performance. Somehow our smartphone stopped connecting to the server. No matter what we did, the program did not want to log in either via the mobile Internet or via Wi-Fi. A couple of days later, the application wrote that it was not compatible with the system and needed to be updated. At the same time, there was no update on Google Play. I had to contact the manufacturer, who shared the current apk file. As noted in the company, we are talking about a single failure in the transitional test period.
And the application is very “gluttonous”. Running even in background NeroHome smartphone may not survive until the middle of the day. Not surprising, since the program constantly communicates with the server and updates the data. You have to check all the time whether you forgot to unload the application from the phone's memory. It is better to immediately activate the disconnection function when working in the background in the settings.
As for the cost, the arithmetic is as follows. In our case, one Oledo server, one portable and three wall-mounted remote controls, five motion / temperature / light sensors, two door open sensors and seven Intro smart relays went to a two-room apartment. Not much, given that up to a thousand devices can be supported on a single system. The cost of the kit was about 2,700 rubles, and exactly half of this amount falls on Polish sensors.
The smart home system from Nero Electronics still needs to be developed. It can be seen that a lot of work was done on it, a huge number of little things were thought out, and the design was approached on a grand scale. On the other hand, much remains to be done, primarily at the program level.
The price, in our opinion, may scare some potential buyers. Therefore, it is advisable to take the time to carefully consider all the functionality of a smart home, all scenarios and events. Perhaps it makes sense to look for more budget sensors. You see, with the optimal arrangement, they will need less than we used.
Imagine this picture: you come to your home, and a warm dinner is already waiting for you in the kitchen, the light is burning comfortably in the living room, the linen has been washed and ironed, the floors have been vacuumed and washed, the flowers have been watered, and the pets have been fed. And you didn't put any effort into it. Represented?
This is how smart home works. This is a home management system. engineering networks, which takes care of all the daily worries and routine. For many people, Smart Home technologies are still something fantastic and unthinkable. But experts are sure that in 20-30 years all country cottages and city apartments will become "smart".
Smart Home and Smart House: what is the difference
First, let's define terms. Today, two different concepts are often confused: "smart home" (Smart Home) and "smart building" (Smart House). And this, although close in meaning, but not quite the same thing.
- Smart House (Smart home)- an automated electronics complex that carries out routine household chores. For example, he can make coffee, warm up dinner, turn on the air conditioner, open the door to let the pet out, etc. Smart Home is created in one single household and serves the interests of a specific user/family. We add that in our country the concept of "smart home" also includes "multi-room" (whereas in the West these are two different terms). Simply put, the multiroom system is a centralized control of all multimedia devices in your apartment: TV, computer, laptop, speaker system.
- Smart building (Smart House) is a common technology in the United States that allows you to automate the management of a large apartment complex. Smart House controls the operation of the central water, gas, electricity, heating and security. In Russia, such technologies are still a curiosity, but over time, there is no doubt that “smart buildings” will appear in all large and small cities of our country.
So, we figured out what Smart Home is and why it should not be confused with Smart House. Now let's move on to the question: how does the "smart home" work?
How the smart home system works
The principle of operation of Smart Home is built almost like in science fiction films. You give a command ("turn on the heater!") - the system executes it (the heater is on). How exactly does all this happen? Depending on the modification of Smart Home, there are two main options:
- In the first case, a “live” participation of a person is necessary. You must personally ask the system to perform an action using your voice, smartphone or remote control (as you prefer). The user command is sent to the central processor, which entrusts its implementation to a specific device.
- In the second case, the direct participation of a person is not required. A variety of sensors and clocks come into play. For example, a computer makes a decision to turn on or turn off the air conditioner, focusing on the readings of temperature sensors. And when the motion sensor in the apartment is triggered (at your discretion), the central processor turns on the alarm. And so on. At a certain point in time, according to the user's settings, the system heats up the kettle and prepares coffee; switches the TV to your favorite series; watering flowers. This listing could go on for a very long time.
Thus, the Smart Home system includes three main elements:
- sensors that receive signals and information from environment;
- a central processor (hub) that processes these signals and makes decisions;
- executor devices (actuators) that receive instructions from the hub and directly perform tasks around the house.
Modern smart home systems allow for a wide variety of actuators. These can be smart sockets, video surveillance systems, controlled thermostats, climate control systems, smart door locks, alarm systems, a robot vacuum cleaner, etc. We will tell you more about the whole variety of Smart Home devices below.
Communication: wired or wireless
All elements of the system can be interconnected via wired or wireless communication. The use of wires may seem archaic, but it provides high level reliability. Therefore, even the most advanced flagships of the industry, such as AMX and Evika, use cable connection.
On the other hand, wireless communication via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is much more modern, more convenient and provides more opportunities. Including increased control range of actuators. Some Smart Home manufacturers offer combo solutions that combine both wired and wireless connectivity.
Surely, dear readers, you are interested in the question - is it possible to create a smart home with your own hands. Let's run to the very end of the article and say right away - you can, and if you really want to, then you need it. After all, the price of the issue has dropped significantly. The market is full of ready-made systems for which you can buy smart things, sensors. When planning such a project, you will need to decide on the basis of which system you will make a smart home:
- Xiaomi Smart Home Suite
- Amazon Echo
- Arduino
Today, this system is far from what we mean by smart home - there are still few devices that can be integrated into it. Despite this, we can hope that in the near future the list of supported devices will be replenished.
Now the Smart Home Suite package includes the hub itself, the controller, motion and door opening sensors, as well as a universal button. Smart Home Suite can manage a large number of devices from Xiaomi and other manufacturers.
As a central hub device, we have a rather large “tablet”, which is connected to the power supply network. There is support for control from a smartphone through a special application. The hub can connect to the Internet, which allows you to control the status of devices from a distance. By purchasing Smart Home Suite, you will be able to control Mi TVs, speakers, smart lamps, humidifiers and other appliances.
Smart Home Suite, which will save you from creating a smart home with your own hands, will cost about 4,000 rubles, which is inexpensive, given the scope of delivery and capabilities. And yet this device from Xiaomi is far from the concept of "smart home", which implies more flexibility. Smart Home Suite is an easy way to automate your work electrical devices in the house.
Where to buy cheap?
And this smart gadget has already been developed by the search giant, which has not yet gained much popularity in the Russian Federation, but everything is ahead. - This is a kind of Google Assistant (the same as “OK Google”), which received its own “home” in the form of a compact Bluetooth speaker. In general, this is an analogue of Xiaomi's Smart Home Suite, only more expensive and with great potential. Can do almost the same, but stands out, of course, the possibility of voice search.
Now you don't have to force your smartphone and Google Assistant to find all sorts of information, from the birthday of the author of "Fathers and Sons" to the question of how much an elephant weighs - just say "OK Google" while sitting on the couch.
Google Home can manage various devices user, so that he, in this way, makes his own smart home with a smarter TV and a video surveillance system. There are already a lot of compatible devices today (Android smartphones, set-top boxes, some Appliances), and over time they will only become more.
In addition, Google Home, in order to really feel like a smart home, supports some interesting services. So, you can ask an assistant to order food for you at home or book a ticket for the next flight, or provide a weather forecast. Google Home also adapts to the desires and interests of the owner, requesting information about preferences and hobbies during the first setup.
Google Home, despite its potential, today cannot boast of huge opportunities. However, she has already found her user, and not just one. A smart speaker will cost about $130.
Another fresh development of an American company, which is a complete analogue of Google Home. Only instead of Google Assistant, the Amazon Echo has Alexa as its voice assistant. On the Russian market, as usual, the device is not yet widespread, but over time the situation should be corrected. Amazon Echo can play your favorite music and can be integrated into your smart home system to control various appliances later. Amazon Echo is very easy to set up and manage using a dedicated smartphone app.
Now the smart speaker looks quite interesting, but, like its predecessors, it is limited in its capabilities. Amazon Echo understands user commands well, thanks to cooperation with other companies, it can work with many smart home devices and systems. True, Amazon Echo costs more than its closest competitors - 12,500 rubles.
Smart home based
We turn to solutions for creating a smart home with our own hands. , in fact, a set of network protocols that, when creating a smart home, help to abandon the wired connection of equipment in favor of wireless. Many different companies are now working with ZigBee systems, providing both equipment kits and individual devices for smart homes. It has a lot of advantages, starting with the cost.
Do-it-yourself equipment for creating a smart home will cost much less than ready-made systems from well-known companies. allows you to show your talents by developing your own smart home scheme, which only your heart desires. In addition, the system is characterized by low power consumption, which cannot be said about many others. The energy-efficient operation of the components is possible precisely thanks to the communication protocol, which, although slow, does not require much energy.
Equipment for systems, as already noted, is being developed by a variety of companies, so there are no problems with finding controllers and sensors. However, it should be borne in mind that equipment components from different companies may not be compatible, therefore it is better to give preference to devices from the same manufacturer. Do-it-yourself equipment for building a smart home based on a base can be purchased for relatively little money in all-loved Chinese online stores.
Do-it-yourself smart home based on Arduino
Arduino, like ZigBee, is not a complete Smart Home system. This is the means that this smartest home helps to build. Arduino is a complex of software and hardware that is designed to build simple automated systems and even roboticists by non-professionals. Smart homes are also among the possible projects. Hardware - a set of boards, sensors and devices, that is, "hardware". Software– provision of hardware communication and control.
Arduino has a completely open architecture, which allows everyone to work with it, so the market today is littered with equipment for building a smart home with your own hands. At the same time, the purchase of individual components will cost several times cheaper than the purchase ready solution. Again, with Arduino, you have a huge opportunity to create a smart home.
For the system today you can find a lot of devices and sensors at a very low price, but be prepared for the fact that you have to worry about connecting all these devices to a single network, and you will also need to get acquainted with the program code. In general, those who like to do something smart with their own hands, tinker with boards and programming environments will be satisfied.
Where to buy cheap?
What is a smart home, and how this system works, readers often ask. It will be difficult to answer this question unambiguously. But still, we can say that here we are talking about the introduction of the latest technologies that have found application in everyday life. Today, many have heard or read about the smart home system, but not everyone can even imagine what level of comfort and security can be achieved with its help.
Review: "Smart home" - what does it mean?
It must be understood that the smart home system helps to achieve two main goals:1. Lighting, television, as well as all other electrical equipment in the house will be fully automated. It can work both according to programmed parameters and in manual mode. remote control through mobile communication or the internet.
2. The complex "smart home" perfectly copes with security function, and protects not only from external penetrations, but also from internal fires, gas or water leaks.
Wouldn't it be nice for the owner of the house, driving up to the garage, to see how the smart home system itself opens the gate? And for this you do not need to get out of the car or use the remote control.
Who wouldn't want to live in such a smart home where you don't have to worry about forgetting to turn off the lights in a room or the TV while leaving for work? The system itself will take care of this problem. Dozens of great and other types of smart home equipment are now available, which until recently were quite expensive. Therefore, only very rich people could afford such a luxury. But now even middle-income people can boast of a smart home.
History of creation
Americans first heard about such a system as a smart home. This happened back in the 70s of the last century. Then at the Washington Intellectual University they were able to develop a system of how to make living in a residential building easier, which modern technologies can be adapted for this. True, today no one will call such an innovation a smart home. But at the time it was a major breakthrough.
Back in 1987, a description appeared in the Soviet journal Technical Aesthetics, created by domestic engineers. In countries former USSR the invention, which was called "smart home", appeared only in the late 90s. But then it did not find much demand among the population. The problem was not only that the equipment for the smart home system was very expensive. It turned out that it was very difficult to install and operate. One could even say that this system was primitive, but very expensive. And since energy resources cost a penny, few people were interested in such an innovation.
And only since the beginning of the new millennium, they started talking about a smart home in the post-Soviet space again. There were several reasons for this:
- Energy resources began to become more expensive, so there was a need to save them.
- Computers are being used more and more.
- The Internet appeared, thanks to which a smart home could be controlled from a distance.
- Due to the emerging competition, the implementation of a circuit for smart home equipment has become less expensive.
Smart home equipment: pros and cons
And now it’s worth figuring out what the smart home has both advantages and disadvantages. First, let's talk about the disadvantages. They are still available in this system. For example, equipment for a smart home system is still expensive. But this is the case if it is offered from well-known European manufacturers. So why not think about Xiaomi smart home or other companies that produce relatively inexpensive, but very high-quality gadgets?
But it must be borne in mind that everything is not so simple here. For example, there is one small difficulty with the Xiaomi smart home. The fact is that Europeans are poorly versed in it, since the user needs to know Chinese. Therefore, to install and configure the Xiaomi smart home, you may need the help of a specialist. After all, here even the fork has a special design. good master will be able to configure functional modules for a customer's smartphone or tablet.
As for the advantages of such a system, they are much more. Who used to do all the work in noble houses? These were butlers, housekeepers, servants, etc. They aired the rooms, opened the curtains on the windows, looked after the comfort in the rooms. Today, such work can be performed by a smart home system, and for it this is not a problem.
Among its advantages, several very important points can be indicated:
- Energy costs can turn into "robbers". And if you introduce this innovation, you don’t have to worry about energy saving. If you choose the right system, you can use it for years. And how much energy can be saved during this time?
- The smart home system can turn into a reliable security guard who will never fall asleep. The owner immediately learns about the penetration into the housing, and about the occurrence of a fire. Immediately the message will go to the security console. So with such a system, you can achieve complete home security.
- In this way, it will be possible to achieve the ideal level of comfort in the premises. Smart home technology makes sure that the house is always cool in summer. But in winter time it will be warm and cozy. She will take care of heating, air conditioning, and optimal humidity in the premises.
- Ideal ease of maintenance. After all, the program of the smart home system includes up to 50 different engineering actions.
