Turning on lights, making a morning pot of coffee, closing the curtains, these probably aren't the day to day activities most of us would consider tasks, but they are a part of everyday life, and wouldn't it be nice if these and a handful of other aspects to running a household were done by someone, or, more to the point, something else? With "smart" technology, the look, mood and feel of your home can be enhanced -- and automated!
Meet the Jetson's
Bob Burstein, a South Florida developer, considers his home automating Critera console much more efficient and responsive (not to mention less likely to be rude) than a maid might be. The Criteria console transformed his abode into a self-sufficient entity capable of sequencing various routines and learning the daily rhythms of an entire family. It's a brain-like console that barks out commands to each enlisted device.
For Burstein, "It's all about convenience. I wake up, and with a push of a button, the shades will open, the morning coffee starts brewing, the CNN anchor starts reporting the news and the bathroom temperature decreases so I can have an invigorating shower."
But there is much more to smart technology than saving a few seconds of precious morning sleep.
For Linda Claremont, smart technology means keeping the kids on their best behavior. "My babysitter was having a difficult time getting the kids away from the TV when it was time to do homework, so I programmed the TV, radio and computer to automatically turn off during homework time," she says.
High Function Low Stress
We may be tech forward but we still haven't invented a machine substitute that can handle creating the style, mood, and arrangements of our home décor. Turning a house into a home still takes as much time, planning and number crunching as ever before, but investing in the time to select the perfect color palette, furniture pieces and accessories, creates the environment you crave. But what mise en scene is complete without lights and sound?
When entertaining, time constraints might give menu planning precedence over lighting or music, but with a little forethought, one doesn't have to sacrificed for the other. Simply select a pre-programmed sequence you've titled Intimate Dining, for example. When guests enter, the temperature will be comfortable for the season, lights will be dimmed to the precise level specified, music will play at the desired volume -- perhaps raising or lowering at specific times when you anticipated dinner to be served, or perhaps just as you finish dessert.
Such effortless ambiance is not something you want spoiled by the cords, switches, timers, and electric buzzing of technology. With wireless technology and infrared sensors, say bye-bye to off-putting hardware.
With many smart home applications, you get a stress free, easy to operate system. Of course, setting up these consoles is the trick, but companies sell hardware, software and programming (consider it Basic Training) to get your home to top performance. If change is your muse, that is OK too. Systems like Burstein's Criteria can be easily modified to adjust to new routines.
David Frangioni is owner and chief technologist of Audio One, an industry leader in home automation and audio/video technology whose client list includes Sting, the Osbournes and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. "Compare smart homes to the purchase of a new Bentley or high-end Espresso machine," he says. "The client wants what the product offers, high-end performance, but doesn't want a steep learning curve."
Judy Colip, who owns a smart home in Indianapolis says, "It was a little overwhelming at first for a non-technical person," she admits, "but a few post it notes and operating lists made the learning process go much faster."
Smart, Contemporary Design
One of the most important aspects of smart technology, though, is that it can fit in seamlessly with existing décor. Wireless options and compact systems, all wired to one computer, make much of this technology virtually transparent, and just perfect for the clean lines of contemporary design.
Consider the sweeping cityscape views of a contemporary high rise, or the enormous picture windows of a contemporary home overlooking a peaceful pond. From the inside looking out, it is easy to enjoy these views, but what about outside people looking in? SPD (suspended particle device) smart glass features energy efficient, noise attenuating windows that lighten and darken automatically in response to sunlight. Even when they are clear, they block out 99 percent of UV rays. SPD glass prevents your Scandanavian woods and upholstered furniture from fading, so you won't have to rearrange seasonally or constantly adjust window treatments to block out the sun's harmful rays. Plus, you can enjoy the view and cavort around your home in the buff without the side effect of entertaining your neighbors.
But there are more benefits to this brand of automated technology. Innovative Glass Corporation, a licensee of SPD technology recently featured on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, used the glass in a Manhattan apartment redone for New York City fire fighters."We used the glass as a room divider and for windows," says Innovative's CEO Steve Abadi. "The apartment overlooks busy 8th Avenue and block out the light and traffic noise so the fire fighters can sleep during the day."
Smart Illumination
While lighting a room may have been as easy as flipping a switch, automation elevates this dated technology from the depths of function to the realm of contemporary design.
Sarah Heenan, a lighting designer for Texas based Illuminations Lighting Design, promises that at the touch of a button on a single keypad a range of different scenes, moods and functions throughout any room can be choreographed. So whether or not you are in it the room you choose will be set to your set standard, one for reading, watching movies, cooking, dining -- anything imaginable..
For the Gadget Junkie
For those who aren't quite ready to take the leap into home automation but still crave a taste of cutting edge technology, a few companies offer fun, moderately priced smart gadgets for tech junkies everywhere. Smarthome.com offers the widest selection of products, including a smart microwave that that reads barcodes on food packaging and cooks according to the manufacturer's directions.
"People think you have to be Bill Gates to afford home automation. That's not true anymore," says Rajeev Kapur, VP of sales and marketing for smarthome.com.
One of the most innovative gadgets perfect for movie buffs and couch potatoes is the ButtKicker LFE Electromagnetic Transducer. It actually lets you feel the sound while watching a movie. Simply hook the product up to a media system and place the component under a couch cushion. The ButtKicker senses when the sound gets louder in a movie, for example an action scene, and voila! you have a fully automated movie watching experience, similar to being at a theme park.
Zensys will debut its wireless Z-Wave home automation starter kits this year for brave Do-It-Yourselfers. Consisting of micro chips and switches that run on radio frequency, this kit -- which the company calls easy to install --starts out under two hundred dollars and promises to transform a room of boring overhead lights and climate controls into a fully automated showroom that will make any neighbor envious.
Control's moderately priced smart home products will help you home "behave in a way that makes life better," says CEO Will West. Clean up remote control clutter and turn your media center into a one-button event with the Home Theatre Receiver Controller. Or try the Control4 Thermostat. It reacts to local temperature and weather service bulletins, adjusting the temperature of your home accordingly.
Buying Smart
Because the technology is still improving -- installation is labor intensive and highly customized -- and all of that science drives the price point up, a fully automated home is a substantial investment, starting in the tens of thousands. With the emergence of wireless technology and do it yourself mart products hitting the retail market in the coming year, the price is expected to drop to a more consumer-friendly level.