Overview

A Smart Home is a residence that uses IoT solutions to control appliances and devices in the home. Smart home solutions are also referred to as home automation solutions. They provide homeowners security, comfort, convenience, and energy efficiency by monitoring the state of things in the home and taking action as required with or without human intervention. Since IoT solutions are usually connected to the Internet, users can be alerted and can control things in their homes even when homeowners are away from their homes.

Solutions

There are several examples of how homeowners can benefit from IoT solutions.

• Safety and Security

  With proximity and motion sensors and connected security cameras, homeowners can be alerted to the presence of visitors. With image recognition solutions, the system can differentiate between family, pets, welcome visitors, and suspicious visitors. The systems can alert homeowners, notify authorities or even take action themselves, such as automatically locking doors and windows, turning on lights, or sounding an alarm if any danger is perceived.

  Sensors around the electric supply points and in appliances can detect an electric surge and turn off appliances. Sensors around water supply points can detect water failures or freezing pipes and turn off the water supply. Smoke and gas sensors can alert homeowners to a possible fire hazard or a gas leak.

• Comfort

  Smart thermostats are connected to the Internet, allowing homeowners to locally or remotely monitor and control home temperatures. These devices can use artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) that learn homeowner behaviors and automatically modify settings to provide them personalized comfort and efficiency without their intervention.

• Convenience

  Smart kitchen appliances can be remotely controlled or programmed to take action at specific times or specific triggers. Smart coffee makers can brew a fresh cup automatically at a programmed time. Smart refrigerators keep track of the products stored in them and alert homeowners when a particular product is low in quantity or about to reach its expiration date. They can even create a shopping list based on what is getting over and even place an order directly with an online grocery store.

  Pet care can be automated with connected feeders that can be controlled remotely or run at programmed intervals. House plants and lawns can be watered by connected watering systems or sprinklers that operate remotely at programmed intervals as well as according to their ambient conditions. Sensors can detect the moisture levels of the soil and decide if the plants or lawns need to be watered or not.

• Energy Efficiency

  Smart thermostats can report energy use and remind users to carry out maintenance services, such as changing filters to ensure appliances operate at high efficiency. It further results in reduced energy consumption.

  Smart lighting systems can detect when occupants are in the room and the intensity of daylight and regulate their brightness accordingly.

These are only some examples of how IoT solutions can create a Smart Home, there are many more creative solutions that can be implemented.