Trending in Smart Home Technology
Making your home smart is an increasing trend in itself. With home automation growing rapidly, here are a few features that are making an impact in the industry and in your home:
Voice Control
With the rising popularity and demand of Amazon Echo, more and more companies are looking to voice control to control everything from lights, thermostats, music systems to complete home automation systems. Voice control provides the benefit of allowing users to control their devices- hands-free. While the use of voice control may not seem like a new innovation, as smartphones are already equipped with voice recognition, using your voice to control your home is a relatively new concept. Companies such as Lutron, Sonos, NEST and Apple among others have all joined the ecosystem, adding voice control functionality to some of their devices.
Geofencing/Tracking
Today, home automation devices can determine whether or not you are home without much effort on your part. Geofencing allows you to define geographical boundaries and associate them with home automation action. Numerous devices such as the lights, thermostat, appliances, and security systems can sync with your geofence, and set according to your preferences/schedule. The geofence’s invisible barrier allows you to come and go freely, adjusting smart home functionalities automatically when you travel in or outside of set limits. For example, if you leave your home, your smart home will go into away mode– turning off lights, heating/cooling units, and activating your home security system.
Decor Friendly Devices
Decor friendly technology blends right into the aesthetics of your home. With the advent of beautiful and sleek and modern designs, home automation devices are actually adding to the decor of the home, instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. Devices from network routers to smart thermostats and door locks are designed not only to improve your life by bringing automation and control, but they are now aesthetically pleasing to the eye too.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality headsets are emerging into the consumer market with several global tech leaders (Oculus, Samsung, HTC, Sony, Google Cardboard, to name a few) paving the way. While virtual reality (VR) has been primarily in the fields of gaming, simulation, and manufacturing, their capabilities are just beginning in smart home environments. Virtual reality (VR) technologies and systems have the potential to play an integral role in smart home environments with instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). Virtual reality headsets can transport you into a 3-D world. Through VR headsets, you will be able to control and use smart home devices without even leaving your home. e.g. closing the fridge door if it was left open. The possibilities for VR entering the smart home market are endless.
