Advantages
- Home automation offers centralized control, as users can check the status of all their devices, including security sensors, HVAC systems etc, and control them from a single central hub
- This technology brings peace of mind to the users, as their home’s doors and windows have sensors so they can remotely check whether they are locked or not, while feeds from security cameras can be checked directly on a TV
- Home automation also provides convenience as users will no longer have to waste time to physically check if their windows and doors are locked
- Users can receive notifications on their phones based on specific rules – for example, they can be notified whenever someone arrives on their doorstep and when a sensor is triggered
- Customization means that users can implement their own set of rules, allowing the inter-connected devices and systems in their home to behave within certain parameters
Disadvantages
- Home automation systems require a WiFi or Ethernet connection, therefore they could become targets for hackers
- Users expect their systems to be supported throughout the years, but as home automation adoption is low, there is a risk that companies will stop supporting some devices, rendering specific home automation systems useless
- Low adoption rate also means that home automation devices are too expensive and that they do not offer clear benefits for the users or value for the money
- This technology still finds itself in its early days, therefore it is not stable, nor usable enough for the average person
- Inflexibility remains a drawback, as users are either locked in a single environment or cannot integrate home automation solutions from different vendors with one another
- People have bemoaned the fact that their homes must undergo structural changes in order to install such systems and that it would be almost impossible to take the systems with them should they decide to move
- Home automation systems are hard to manage and configure, as there will be a difference between what users think they want and what they actually want, albeit AI technology could allow the system to learn and anticipate the needs of multiple users living in the same household at some point in the near future
Components
- WiFi
- X10
- Ethernet
- RS-485
- 6LoWPAN
- Bluetooth LE (Low-Energy)
- ZigBee
- Z-Wave
Development tools
- Home Assistant
- IoTivity
- LinuxMCE
- Android Things
- QIVICON
- Domoticz
- HomeSeer
- openHAB
- Calaos
- OpenMotics
- MisterHouse
- smarthomatic
- PiDome
