SMART HOMES

Jordan Edwards 100506080Brad Fitzpatrick 100450024

December 10 2010

Table of contents

1)What is a smart home?

1a. Definition1b. How does it work

2) History of smart home technology

2a.The early innovations that contributed to smart technology

3) What type of technology is used in a smart home?

3a. Examples of current products

3b. Components that make a smart home operational

4) Why talk to your house

DEFINITION – SMART HOME

Smart Home technology intelligently gives you ultimate control over your home by automating the lighting system, dimming, blinds, electrical appliances, audio and security systems.

Smart homes connect all the devices and appliances in your home so they can communicate with each other and with you.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Anything in your home that uses electricity can be put on the home network and at your command. Whether you give that command by voice, remote control or computer, the home reacts.

Smart homes work with fairly simple systems: receivers and transmitters

Receivers detect a certain signal from the transmitter, that issues a command.

FROM THE BEGINNING - HISTORY The smart home’s history can be easily traced back to the

early turn of the century, where electrical and telephone wiring were installed in new houses.

Integrated smart home infrastructure was usually built by hobbyists in the 1960s, but it wasn't until 1984 the term "smart home" was coined by the American Association of Home Builders. (www.Ehow.com)

General Electric company was one of the first pioneers to develop a series of products made for smart homes in the mid 60’s, these products included portable automatic dish washers and microwaves.

Smart homes products

Different Types Of Systems X-10 , the oldest and most simplistic

integrative home device was developed in the late 70’s.

This technology involved utilizing basic household wiring in order to enable the household to become synchronized “smart”

All the household appliances act as receivers while the transmitters issue orders in numerical code

X-10 – Let’s take a look

Plenty of companies have tried to duplicate the functionality of the X-10 system, but none have been able to match the reliable design.

Why go through power lines when radio waves can be utilized quite like how we use cell phones or WiFi devices.

Zig-Bee and Z-wave are the two biggest names in radio wave home automation.

Both of these are mesh systems, meaning they are able to deliver a message to a destination using multiple methods.

“MESH NETWORKS”

Total Home Automation

Here’s How It Works

Each device on the network, such as a lamp, light switch, thermostat, garage door opener, pool control and others have an individual code, selected from more than 4 billion options. When you program one of the controller options, it automatically id’s what those codes �are. Then when you press the appropriate button, the controller sends a signal to the device telling it what to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9738CIiY41kwww.youtube.com/watch?v=9738CIiY41k

What is the cost?

The cost of a smart home greatly depend on how “smart” you really want it.

There are control pads that go for

around $100 for basic models, But if you want it to be voice controlled with lights electronics and major appliances integrated all in 1 you could be paying up to $1000’s for a deluxe model.

Installation Costs

The cost of smart home process if you were going to install from the foundation level would be around $2000 - $5000 depending how big and what type of wiring system you are using.

Example Intercom System Wiring: $200

Room: Cabling For 7.1 and Projector Cost: $500Alfresco: Cabling for 1 pair of Speakers: $100Ducted Vac: Rough in only of pipes and 3 points: $1,000

Conclusion

Keeping in mind that technology is rapidly changing, it is important to recognize how technology is changing how we function within our households.

It is estimated that in the next 10 years 90% of new homes with come equipped with some form of networking, programming and automation.

The future home is a “SMART HOME”

References:

http://untrainedhousewife.com/smart-home-automation-it%E2%80%99s-easier-than-you-think

December 8th 2010 http://

www.ehow.com/how_2180398_install-smart-house-technology.html

Demcember 6th 2010 http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/smart-home.htm

References:

December 2nd 2010 http://money.cnn/magaziens/business2/business2_archive/2006/12/01/8394983/index.htm

December 2nd 2010 http://www.smarthomesystems.com/

References pictures:

December 5th 2010 http://

gotomy.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/zigbee1.gif

December 5th 2010 http://www.ehow.com/how_2180398_install-smart-house-technology.html

December 4th 2010 http://www.smarthome.com/_/index.aspx