What is a Smart Home?

A smart home refers to smart home automation where all appliances and devices are connected to the Internet of Things (IoT)  and can be automatically controlled using a smartphone or tablet or other networked devices. Smart home technology is gaining popularity due to the convenience and cost-saving they provide to homeowners. There’s so much you can do with a smart home from voice assistants. This article will tell you about smart homes, what is included in smart homes and the advantages and disadvantages of smart homes.

Examples of Smart Homes

• Smart Homes include all kinds of smart kitchen appliances such as smart refrigerators that keep track of expiration dates, smart coffee makers which brew a fresh cup of coffee at a set time each day and much more.

• The smart lighting can detect when people are in the room and adjust the lights as needed.

• Using smart locking allows users to grant or deny access to visitors and smart locks can also detect when residents are near and unlock the door for them.

• A smart thermostat learns homeowners’ behaviour and automatically adjusts the temperatures. Users can monitor and control the home temperature remotely.

• Lawns and houseplants are watered by connected timers on a regular basis.

• With smart security systems, residents can monitor their homes if they are away. The motion sensors can identify the difference between homeowners, visitors or burglars and send notifications in case of suspicious activity.
  

Advantages of Smart Homes

• Proven to be cost savings and energy efficient

• Added security - gives alerts or notifications in case of threat

• Provides more convenience and comfort compared to traditional methods

Disadvantages of Smart Homes

• Smart home devices are often more expensive than their counterpart's products

• Homeowners may take some time to adjust especially if they are not technologically savvy

• These products may also pose a security risk and can be hacked

The Bottom Line

Smart homes have revolutionized the way homeowners interact with their home appliances and devices. It is evident that smart homes are making life easier by providing convenience over traditional methods and that they are energy efficient and help in saving time. Leveraging machine learning and internet of things technology, companies like Amazon, Google and Apple have released their smart home products like Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomeKit respectively.