My business has me writing a lot of articles about home automation and security. Before I write anything, I do research. One of my recent research sessions caused me to realize something that I knew in the back of my mind but had never really acknowledged: there is a difference between home control and home automation.
Every smart home device can be controlled via a mobile app or centralized hub. It’s part of the package. But how many devices in a given system can work automatically? Some work automatically without much help. Others require sufficient programming. But learning how to program makes a difference because of one glaring reality: home control is a lot different from home automation.
What I Can Control
I have a home automation system I built from scratch. I use an open-source home automation platform on a previously unused laptop that is more than a decade old. I could just have easily gone with a prepackaged system from a brand name like Vivint. Vivint’s home automation platform works just as well as my open-source solution.
At any rate, both options would allow me to control virtually all of my devices remotely. Using my phone, I can currently control:
- Lighting
- Temperature
- Irrigation
- Door locks
- Video cameras
A device like a smart thermostat can and should be programmed to operate automatically. Anyone with a smart thermostat is throwing his money away if he does not take the time to program it. An unprogrammed smart thermostat does nothing more than a legacy thermostat without programming capabilities.
On the other hand, smart lights do not necessarily have to be programmed to be useful. I can bring up my phone while driving down the street and turn on all the lights as I pull into the driveway. But that’s not very automation-like, is it?
Truly Autonomous Lights
The research I mentioned at the start of his post included a How-To Geek article written by contributor Adam Davidson. In it, Davidson described the favorite automations he’s worked into his home system. The first item on his list was his truly autonomous light system.
Davidson began automating with motion sensors. The sensors detect whenever someone’s in a room, turning lights on as soon as a person enters. When no activity in the room is sensed for a certain amount of time, the lights turn off. But that wasn’t good enough for Davidson. He wanted more.
His sensors are also capable of detecting ambient light. So he created a number of automations capable of correctly turning lights on and off under virtually any scenario. For example, lights do not turn on in the middle of the day when he walks into the living room. They do turn on at night.
If he draws the shades and the room’s ambient lighting falls below a certain level, the lights will turn on. He doesn’t even have to move to make it happen. His lights can do other things too, but you get the point: he has truly autonomous lights that operate without him ever touching a switch or his smartphone.
True Autonomy and the Voice
Reading Davidson’s take on true autonomy leads me to believe that voice control doesn’t qualify. Even though I can control my lights without ever touching a switch or the phone, I still need to do something. I still have to speak.
The difference between home control and home automation is evident when you step back and think about it. I have thought about it, and I still have a lot of work left to make my system truly autonomous.