Intelligent Home

Home automation control has been made convenient by the release of apps for iPhone, iPad and Android-based devices which allow centralised and remote control of your home environment and electrical appliances
We’re living in a fast paced life with automatic cars, smart phones and technology trends that make life much easier. The 21st century has been focused on technology being developed for electronics. Broadband internet access has become a common place in developed countries as many people have switched from traditional mobile phones to smart phones.
A mobile phone plays a diverse role today and is used not just to answer calls like it was a decade ago. There are apps for tablets, PCs and mobile phones to monitor and control devices commonly found in most people’s homes.  If you are tired of worrying that the lights were left switched on in vacant spaces, you should be made aware that apps are increasingly helping people monitor and control objects remotely on their mobile devices.
In other words, home automation is anything that gives you remote or automatic control of devices in and around your home. The systems that you can control include lighting, heating and cooling, security, entertainment (home audio and video), communications (telephones and intercoms, internet), irrigation, window shades, door locks etc. The concept of home automation is to connect all of these systems and devices to a central controller so that they can be controlled from anywhere and react to one another. For example, as you arrive home, your home-automation system can automatically turn off the sprinklers, open the garage door, unlock the front door and disable the alarm, light up the downstairs, and turn on the TV. Or if you power on the DVD player, it might automatically dim the lights, draw the shades, and direct all calls to voicemail.
This central controller can be accessed and controlled through interfaces like keypads, wired or wireless touch-screens (with/without video), universal remotes, mobile devices such as a smart phone or any PC – at home, in the office, or on the road. The central controller has various peripheral devices connected to it so that it can receive and send signals to them for appropriate controls. These peripheral devices can be light switches and dimmers, wireless security transmitters, door contactors, occupancy sensors, fire/smoke detectors, sprinklers, sirens, audio controllers, speakers, thermostats, televisions, CCTV and air-conditioners etc.
Home automation control has been made convenient by the release of apps for iPhone, iPad and Android-based devices which allow centralised and remote control of your home environment and electrical appliances. Such can be experienced with HomesWorks QS total home system by Lutron, a big wig in the space of total light management solutions. Home Works QS offers total control of lights, shades, temperature and AV systems from wall-mounted or tabletop keypads, as well as your mobile devices like iPhone or iPad. You can customise some scenes and recall them to adjust your lights, shades and temperature simultaneously.
Integrating HomeWorks QS with your AV system means that a one button press will dim lights, lower shades and the projector, and start the movie.  Heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) integration will enable you to adjust room temperature any time of the day, even while you are on your way home. Also connecting your security system with HomeWorks QS system, has an added advantage of safety, self-protection and visible alert.  Hence, you’re also investing in a system which can pay for itself over the life of your home.
Imagine if someone breaks into your home and triggers the security system, your interior lights will all turn on, exterior lights will flash, shades will raise and lower, and all keypads will lock so that your interior lights will stay on even if the intruder presses the off button. The system’s time clock and security system can work simultaneously to imitate your usual patterns so that your home looks occupied when you are not there! The time clock can automatically turn your lights on and off or raise and lower your shades based on your normal routine. Smart homes are sustainable and homes for the future.
Wireless occupancy sensors by Lutron is an innovative and appealing device which helps to optimise energy savings and it is easy to install. This wireless sensor is battery operated with a 10 year battery life. It can communicate wirelessly via radio frequency with a compatible switch.  Just replace your light switch with this new technology and you can enjoy the full benefits of occupancy sensing. You won’t have to worry about switching your lights on/off anymore. The occupancy sensor and switch will automatically do the job for you every time you enter or exit a space, thereby reducing energy consumption.
Efficient energy usage depends on how effectively you can control your electric powered lights as well as natural daylight which can be controlled by a wireless daylight sensor like the Radio Powr Savr by Lutron. This sensor can detect the amount of incoming daylight into your home and adjust your electric light accordingly to maintain a constant light level while saving energy.  Since these sensors are all wireless, they can be installed in minutes without the need for any new wiring.
Prabhjyot Singh, Residential Sales – Manager, Lutron GL Sales and Services Pvt. Ltd. said, “Energy savings is the primary objective of all our products. Today, we have solutions available for as small as one room which can be scaled up to an entire floor or even a building. Usage and required functions vary from person to person and project to project across residential, commercial or public projects which we have been actively involved in. Lighting control is surely one way to save the environment and reduce your carbon footprint which makes you a responsible global citizen”
The global economic recession and a fall in the real estate market has had a negative impact on the home automation sector. However, the market is picking up, mainly because of the emergence of cost-effective home automation services. Mobile devices like smartphones, tablets and PCs now play a key role in home automation systems by offering a common and user-friendly interface, which has helped popularise them to a wider customer base. The convergence of these technologies has made installation and adoption of home automation systems simpler and more cost effective. Home automation before was a luxury for a few but now it’s totally accessible via a smart phone in your hand.

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