An ideal connected home would be one that would be capable of recognizing the owner’s mood and could start playing the music to suit that mood or one which would adjust the air conditioning of the house on its own using the data of the outside weather.
These things aren’t just a part of science fiction movies anymore, they are quite tangible. As the speed of advancement of technology sky-rockets as well our reliance on it; it’s not a surprise that HP predicts that by 2025 we may have 1 trillion smart homes.
Connected Home Products
These smart homes will be categorized by not just the ability to control every setting in the house ourselves but also by the houses having AI. As of today, with tools like Alexa or Google Home Assistant, we are able to do quite a lot.
With voice control, we can play music, switch on or off lights, and even set up parameters in case of an intruder. But smart homes are expected to go even beyond. Imagine coming home from the office on a snowy day.
In the present time, one would have two options; to either come back and switch on the heating and wait till the temperature is bearable or to let the heating run all day. The first option is simply not effective and may lead to annoyance on a tough day. While the second would not only ruin your electricity bill to the maximum but also utilize precious energy sources of our planets.
There are some apps and intelligent software with which you can remotely control the temperature and start up the heating as you’re on your way home. But what if you forgot to do it? All of this can be eliminated with the help of currently available tools and some AI. In a connected home, the house could track your location, calculate the ideal time it takes to heat up the house, and start the heating systems accordingly. There is no fuss on your end.
Applications like these are for our comfort. There is also a bigger role, safety. How often do we forget to switch off the stove or leave a back door unlocked while leaving our house? Even when we don’t do these things, we are worried about the possibility that we may have. Or a vacation could be ruined by the possible knowledge of a burglary. You may have young children that you have to leave behind for half an hour to run some errands.
All of these things are usually riddled with anxiety and we worry about something going wrong. But that isn’t the case with smart homes. They can close faucets, stoves, and doors that you may accidentally leave running or you could check if they are closed or not. Besides this in case of an accident or fire or any other mishaps, local authorities and the owner can be contacted immediately, allowing instant action and possible saving of valuables and the house itself.
More about Smart Homes
However, there is a concern when it comes to smart homes. Like with the internet and smartphones people fear the loss of privacy and data, this matter is the same.
When you install Alexa into your household or use Google for any kinds of searches; the data gets recorded and sent to these companies. While these companies may not necessarily misuse this data, others who gain access to this data can. If your location is constantly being tracked; someone who wishes harm on you could access it and use it to track you.
These fears are very real and in no manner unfounded. We have to make the decision for ourselves regarding whether we feel okay with this invasion or not. And companies who make this kind of software must put down strict guidelines and safety measures to ensure the safety of their customers’ data.
