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Smart

Smart homes connect devices like door locks, lights, thermostats and appliances through a central system that can be controlled remotely via a mobile device. This allows homeowners to automate functions and monitor their home from anywhere. Smart home technologies provide convenience and energy savings through remote access and automated schedules. However, security risks remain if devices are hacked and upfront installation costs can be high.

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44 views2 pages

Smart

Smart homes connect devices like door locks, lights, thermostats and appliances through a central system that can be controlled remotely via a mobile device. This allows homeowners to automate functions and monitor their home from anywhere. Smart home technologies provide convenience and energy savings through remote access and automated schedules. However, security risks remain if devices are hacked and upfront installation costs can be high.

Uploaded by

Madafaka
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How Smart Homes Work

A smart home’s devices are connected with each other and can be accessed
through one central point—a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or game console. Door
locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even
appliances such as the refrigerator can be controlled through one home
automation system. The system is installed on a mobile or other networked
device, and the user can create time schedules for certain changes to take effect.

Smart home appliances come with self-learning skills so they can learn the
homeowner’s schedules and make adjustments as needed. Smart homes
enabled with lighting control allow homeowners to reduce electricity use and
benefit from energy-related cost savings. Some home automation systems alert
the homeowner if any motion is detected in the home when they're away, while
others can call the authorities—police or the fire department—in case of
imminent situations. Once connected, services such as a smart doorbell, smart
security system, and smart appliances are all part of the internet of things (IoT)
technology, a network of physical objects that can gather and share electronic
information.

Security and efficiency are the main reasons behind the increase in smart home
technology use.
Smart homes can feature either wireless or hardwired systems—or both.
Wireless systems are easier to install. Putting in a wireless home automation
system with features such as smart lighting, climate control, and security can
cost several thousand dollars, making it very cost-friendly. Hardwired systems,
on the other hand, are considered more reliable and are typically more difficult to
hack. A hardwired system can increase the resale value of a home. But there is a
drawback—it's fairly expensive. Installing a luxury and hardwired smart system
can cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars.

The global home automation market was valued at about $24 billion in 2016.
That figure is expected to grow as more people begin to adopt smart home
technology to the tune of about $53.5 billion by 2022. Video entertainment is
expected to be the largest component of smart home technology, followed by
home security and monitoring services. Smart speaker technology has already
successfully penetrated the U.S. market, where roughly 31% of households use
a device like the Amazon Echo or Google Nest.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Homes


Pros
Installing a smart home technology system provides homeowners with
convenience. Rather than controlling appliances, thermostats, lighting, and other
features using different devices, homeowners can control them all using one
device—usually a smartphone or tablet.

Since they're connected to a portable device, users can get notifications and
updates on issues in their homes. For instance, smart doorbells allow
homeowners to see and communicate with people who come to their doors even
when they're not at home. Users can set and control the internal temperature,
lighting, and appliances as well.

For the cost of setting up the smart system, homeowners can benefit from
significant cost savings. Appliances and electronics can be used more efficiently,
lowering energy costs.

Cons
While the smart home offers convenience and cost savings, there are still
challenges. Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of the
technology. Adept hackers, for example, can gain access to a smart home's
internet-enabled appliances. In October 2016, a botnet called Mirai infiltrated
interconnected devices of DVRs, cameras, and routers to bring down a host of
major websites through a denial of service attack, also known as a DDoS attack.
Measures to mitigate the risks of such attacks include protecting smart
appliances and devices with a strong password, using encryption when available
and only connecting trusted devices to one's network.

As noted above, the costs of installing smart technology can run anywhere from
a few thousand dollars for a wireless system to tens of thousands of dollars for a
hardwired system. It's a heavy price to pay, especially since there may be a
steep learning curve to get used to the system for everyone in the household.

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