Advantages of Smart Home Technology
Smart home technology is being utilized more and more within homes, for various reasons. This term generally refers to any suite of devices, appliances, or systems that connect into a common network that can be independently and remotely controlled, by using a smartphone or tablet through an internet connection. Smart homes can be set up through wireless or hardwired systems.
Whether just one device or an entire network, consumers are taking advantage of its many features and capabilities to protect their homes, property, and loved ones. Below we’ll outline some of the most common smart home technology benefits.
1. Interconnectivity and Remote Control of Your Smart Home
When your home technology works together in one system, it can also be addressed as “connected home”. In smart home system, you will be able to manage most or all of your home devices from one place. The convenience factor here is enormous. Theoretically, all you have to do is learn how to use one app on your smartphone and tablet, and you’ll be able to tap into countless functions and devices throughout your home.
After a busy work day, you will only need to scan your fingerprints to open the door when you return to your home. Before going to bed, you don’t have to get out of bed to turn off the lights, just a “call” to turn off the lights. If you want glue yourself to bed on a Saturday morning, you can draw the curtains by a simple click on your mobile phone. While lying on bed, you can also control the coffee maker and toaster oven with your phone to prepare yourself a nice breakfast.
On top of that, by utilizing smart home appliance, it will boost your entire home experience. For example, a smart refrigerator is equipped with a built-in camera. Users can view the contents of the refrigerator through mobile devices, or even instruct the refrigerator to customize and recommend recipes according to family members’ dietary preferences and the expired date of the ingredients. Let’s say you are shopping for groceries, by just a simple click on your mobile phone will tell you what food you are having now at home, so as to avoid buying unnecessary items.
In short, from Wi-Fi outlets to smart thermostats, you can monitor and program most of your smart devices to accommodate your specific needs and optimize performance.
2. Improved Home Security
Integrating smart home devices and systems provides invaluable peace of mind.
When you incorporate security and surveillance features in your smart home network, home security will improve tremendously. Generally, users can connect motion detectors, surveillance cameras, automated door locks, and other tangible security measures throughout their homes. Then, they can activate the sensors or cameras from one mobile device before heading to bed. Moreover, depending on the sensor features, it is usually not only limited to one mobile device. Users can also choose to receive security alerts on various devices, and monitor activities in real-time whether the owner is in the house or halfway around the globe. As long as you have the sensors installed, receiving real-time mobile alerts through gas leak detection and flood sensors is also possible. It will help us to avoid costly damages before worse scenario happens.
3. Reduce Electricity Consumption
Smart homes are all about efficiency, optimization and convenience. Depending on how you use your smart-home technology, it’s possible to make your space more energy-efficient.
For example, lights and motorized shades can be programmed to switch to an evening mode as the sun sets, or lights can turn on and off automatically when you enter or leave the room, so you never have to worry about wasting energy. Besides, you can have more precise control over the heating and cooling of your home with a programmable smart thermostat that learns your schedule and temperature preferences, which will then suggest the best energy efficient settings throughout the day.
On top of that, smart thermostats can also provide usage and performance data. This real-time data is very handy in helping you to understand system performance, allowing you to maximize efficiency and lower your overall electricity consumption. Well, you can connect home energy monitoring systems all from the convenience of your phone.
4. Improved Appliance Safety and Functionality
Consider implementing smart stove and grill guards for automatic appliance shutoff. This provides real-time monitoring for dangers such as leaving on a hot stove, grill, or oven—all of which could lead to fires, gas leaks, and propane loss. A smart oven will assist you with cooking your chicken to perfection, whereas a smart TV will help you find better apps and channels to locate your favourite TV programs. Some apartment residents will also install rain sensors on their balconies and pull down the curtains as soon as sensors detect rain.
Ultimately, connecting your appliances and other systems with automation technology will improve your appliance effectiveness and overall make your home life much easier and more enjoyable.
5. Wellness Monitoring and Homecare System in Future
You can monitor how often you watch TV (and what you watch), what kind of meals you cook in your oven, the type of foods you keep in your refrigerator, and your energy consumption habits over time. From these insights, you may be able to analyze your daily habits and behaviors, and make adjustments to live the lifestyle you desire. Not only that, there are various sensors with different features in the market. For instance, people who are more concerned about health will consider to install air quality sensors, which will switch on air purifier automatically according to setting.
Experts predict that a third of all smart homes will be equipped with elements of health-related technology in five to ten years. It goes beyond the typical implementation and use of devices such as smartwatches, glucose monitors, alarm systems, and even medical robots. In ten years, home healthcare devices will not be viewed as an application but rather a fully integrated functionality within our homes and routines.
To this effect, health-related monitoring will be built into the very framework of our homes and applications using new-age sensors and enhanced interoperability. This would consist of constant data touch-points and non-invasive health checks throughout the day. Sensors will be primed to detect various symptoms, conditions, and any signs of ill health around your house. These devices can then automatically provide alerts to medical professionals to ensure all household members have access to the support they need, which is foreseen to be more intelligent than ever!
Precautions to Prevent Hackers for Smart Devices
Although these smart home products can bring many conveniences to our lives, the data they store can be invaded by outsiders and can easily be stolen without our knowledge. Please take note to do below precaution steps to protect your personal date.
Change the names of the Wi-Fi servers and smart electronic products at home, hackers will not be able to find the original names and passwords.
Change the default password of the smart product and set a new password with high security.
Set a password for IP CCTV. If the IP CCTV has an encryption system, remember to enable this setting.
It is foreseen that more and more electrical appliances will join the smart home family. The next trend for electrical appliances is to use artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand household habits and further improve human lives.
After all, Singapore is a country that is gradually aging. To be kind to the elderly is to be kind to our own future. The “smart home” system is not simply pursuing advancement, changing existing habits, and allowing users to adapt to these technologies. Instead, let technology assist everyone and provide convenience according to the needs of different groups of people.
If you’re thinking of upgrading to a smart home, contact the professionals at Winway Home Services for rewiring/installation services to help you setup a smart home for today and the future.