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What is home automation?
Home automation (also known as "smart homes") is a term that simply refers to all the technologies and systems used to automate and control various functions in a home or building. This generally includes equipment such as smart lighting systems, programmable thermostats, connected locks, surveillance cameras, remote-controlled household appliances, etc. The main aim of home automation is to make daily life more comfortable, convenient and energy-efficient by enabling occupants to control and manage these devices remotely, often via mobile apps or voice assistants, or by automating certain tasks to improve energy efficiency and security.

What does home automation improve?

• Comfort: home automation systems enable you to control many of your home's appliances and functions remotely. You can adjust the temperature, lighting, blinds, vacuuming, etc., without getting up from your seat, making your home environment more comfortable.


• Energy savings: home automation enables smarter energy management. Smart thermostats, for example, can automatically regulate temperature according to your preferences and presence patterns, reducing energy consumption and bills.


• Enhanced security: connected home security systems allow you to monitor your home remotely. You can receive alerts in the event of intrusion or suspicious incidents, view live cameras, simulate presence to prevent theft, and even lock/unlock doors remotely.


• Task automation: you can program automated scenarios to simplify everyday tasks. For example, you can create a "leave home" scenario that turns off all the lights, locks the doors and adjusts the thermostat when you leave.


• Remote management: wherever you are, you can access your smart home via a mobile app. This allows you to check the status of appliances, control equipment and react in case of emergency or need.


• Consumption monitoring: some home automation systems allow you to monitor the energy consumption of different appliances. This helps to identify sources of waste and adopt a more energy-efficient lifestyle.


• Adaptation to specific needs: home automation can be customized to meet the specific needs of residents. For example, for the elderly or people with reduced mobility, home automation devices can facilitate access to essential equipment.

7 examples of home automation modules with added value:

• Connected sockets: (or switches) can be added to an existing socket to remotely control the appliances connected to it. They can measure electricity consumption and set timers to switch appliances off automatically when not in use, helping to save energy.


• Smart thermostats: allow you to regulate the temperature in your home more efficiently, according to your preferences and schedule. They can automatically adapt to your lifestyle and help reduce the energy consumption of your heating and air-conditioning system.


• Motion sensors: can be placed in different rooms to detect occupant movement. They can be used to automatically switch lights on when a person enters a room and off when the room is empty, thus avoiding lights being left on unnecessarily.


• Connected security cameras:offer remote monitoring of your home, allowing you to see what's going on in real time and receive alerts in the event of intrusion or suspicious activity.


• Intelligent watering systems: automate the watering of your garden according to soil moisture, weather conditions and your preferences, thus reducing water wastage.


• Automatic mowers: make outdoor maintenance easier than ever. Programmable to mow your lawn according to your preferences, they operate without human intervention. Equipped with sensors to detect obstacles, they deftly navigate around trees, bushes and other obstacles in your garden. After their work, they automatically return to their recharging station.


• Connected vacuum cleaners:also known as robot vacuum cleaners, are revolutionizing home cleaning. These small, autonomous devices can clean your home without anyone being present. Programmable via a mobile app, they get to work at predefined times. Thanks to their intelligent sensors, they avoid obstacles and automatically return to their recharging station when their battery is low.

Why didn't smart homes become popular earlier (even though they've been talked about since the 1930s)?

• High cost: historically, home automation technologies were relatively expensive, limiting their accessibility to consumers. Home automation systems required complex installations and specialized equipment, making them a considerable investment for most homeowners.


• Technical complexity: home automation often involves the complex integration of different systems and devices. Users had to have in-depth technical knowledge or rely on specialized installers to configure and manage these systems. This made home automation less attractive to non-technophile users.


• Lack of standards and compatibility: there was a lack of common standards and compatibility between different manufacturers of home automation products. This meant that products and systems didn't always work together seamlessly, making it difficult to integrate and manage a coherent smart home.


• Evolving technologies: the technological advances needed for home automation, such as sensors, wireless communications and artificial intelligence, took time to develop and become more affordable. It's only recently that these technologies have become more accessible and have helped democratize home automation.


• Gradual adoption: changes in technological adoption are often gradual. It takes time for new ideas and technologies to take hold in society. Home automation follows this trend, and although it has been around for several decades, it has only recently gained in popularity with the emergence of more affordable and user-friendly solutions.

What about 2023?
All the points mentioned above were clearly obstacles to the adoption of smart homes. Today, most of these points are gradually disappearing, making the adoption of home automation much easier and more accessible. What's more, the adoption of home automation module installation is set to accelerate even further in the future, thanks to the universal "Matter" protocol. Indeed, major home automation players such as Amazon, Apple, Google, LG Philips Hue and Ikea have joined forces in a global consortium to harmonize communication protocols between connected objects, leaving only the "Matter" protocol. Brands began releasing objects using this protocol in the second half of 2022. Today, it's still a little early to say whether this harmonization will last over time, and whether it will be the solution that convinces the majority of the population to install a home automation system in their homes. Despite these uncertainties, it remains a promising technology with a definite future, and one that has already seen its barriers to adoption drastically reduced over the years.


Sources
LeFigaro - Article
L'OBS - Article
Univers-domotique - Article