Hey Google, turn on the lights! Almost, everything in our homes can be automated with IoT, from your garage door to your lights, your coffee, and your security system are ready at the touch of a button. These features are convenient and save energy and money. But as home automation is in a relatively nascent stage in India, some people may find it overwhelming.
There are three levels of home automation:
1. Automation: This means setting devices to activate each other, like having a flood light turn on after an armed security camera detects motion.
2. Control: This means the user can control the devices remotely, like moving a camera or a Roomba.
3. Monitoring: This means a user can check their devices remotely via a smart camera.
Internet of Things (IoT), refers to a device that is connected to the Internet that facilitates communication between the device and the cloud, also between the devices. Almost all home automation devices are IoT devices, which can activate each other. So while IoT refers to the devices, home automation is the applied IoT devices to make your home smart and life comfortable.
Smart homes are automated by IoT devices connected to mobile applications via a remote or wireless connection. With these IoT devices, a user can control multiple devices in their homes, from lights to home appliances. Thus, any home with a wireless connection and IoT devices counts as a smart home.
The home automation network works through devices that connect to the Internet through different communication protocols, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc. With these electronic interfaces, devices can be managed remotely, be it a voice assistant like Alexa, Google or an app. Such IoT devices usually have sensors that can monitor any changes in motion, temperature, and light and alert the user. To make any changes to the device, the user activates actuators, which in turn can be used to switch any light or appliance on and off.
The concept of home automation or smart home is synonymous with IoT, and with the advancement of technology, it has become easier to switch to the other side, for a smart future.
