The Smart Home | Intelligent Home Automation

Imagine, if you would, coming home from a long day’s work. You open the door, and the light’s immediately turn on a shade past dim – just the way you like it. It’s 7.58pm and by the time you hang up your coat, take off your shoes and sit down in the living room, it’s time for the basketball game. The television turns one. You dismiss the notification that the television had been recording the pre-game show, and start to watch, but a beep from the kitchen stops you and impels you to enter. It’s your refrigerator, reminding you that there are three perfectly chilled beers inside. You’ll grab one beer and something to eat, but a display on the outside informs you that the leftovers are probably bad by now. You tap a button on the display and your refrigerator dials the local takeout restaurant on our cellphone, which you quickly remove from your pocket. After you place your order and make your way back to the television, you see a second notification that informs you that you’ve forgotten to activate your security system, but that it has been done for you. You silently marvel at how simple life has become as you sit back to enjoy the game.

This notion of domestic bliss may once have been purely within the realm of science fiction, but may soon be possible with the rise of intelligent home networking / home automation (smart homes). In this article, we will cover: 1) features of the smart home, 2) history of the smart home, 3) benefits of the smart home, 4) research and trends in smart homes, 5) challenges of smart homes, 6) popular smart homes, and 7) the future of smart homes.