Smart Home Technology of the Future

SMART HOME The of the Not-So-Distant FUTURE DID YOU KNOW? Smart home technology (where lighting, heating and electronic devices can be controlled remotely) has been around since the 1960s. A QUICK TIMELINE 1966 saw the creation of a 'home automation machine' called ECHO IV. ECHO could control appliances and temperature, and construct shopping lists. Unfortunately it wasn't that useful AND it was huge. It never actually went to market. In the 70s, Pico Electronics launched X10 - a system designed to enable communication between household appliances. NAHB In 1984 the National Association of Home Builders created "Smart House" – an initiative aimed at encouraging the construction industry to incorporate technology into property design. TODAY & THE FUTURE But it's only since the spread of smart phones, and technology that can connect our phones with our devices at home, that consumers have really begun embracing the potential of the 'Smart Home'. Consequently, in 2014 nearly 100 million households across the globe were using smart home technology. By 2018 this is expected to double. 2015 2018 (PREDICTED) 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% % of households adopting smart home technology O Global UK USA BUT WHAT ARE WE USING IT FOR? When asked what type of smart home devices consumers most desired... O 72% said a self-adjusting thermostat wanted a 68% master control for all household preferences wanted home 65% monitoring cameras and/or automatic adjustable outdoor lighting A71% wanted doors that can be locked from a remote location 91% But above all, security is the biggest motivator for the purchase of a smart home system at a whopping 91% THE (VERY NEAR) FUTURE OF THE SMART HOME Imagine a home that knows: your mood your body temperature your taste in music when you want a coffee how hot you like your shower In short: a home that understands your movements and controls your surroundings to help ease the demands of your daily routine. PFFT.. SOUNDS FAR-FETCHED? Not really... It's actually not that far away from becoming a reality- most of the technology needed to achieve this is already available. SO WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? The main barriers to entering the age of truly smart homes are: CHOICE The sheer number of products and brands available STANDARDS Lack of technologies to enable them to work together i KNOWLEDGE Limited understanding/awareness from consumers SECURITY Concerns of how secure the technology is COST Is the technology prohibitively expensive? BATTLE OF THE BRANDS SAMSUNG Of those who are aware of smart home devices, 48% stated they are most familiar with Apple devices, followed by Samsung (22%) and Amazon (15%). But there are so many more out there... PHILIPS nest canary CHAMBERLAIN. hive GOCOntrol iHome O dropcam CREE + ... to name a few Consumers are spoilt for choice, and that's a problem. They don't know which brand or products will stand the test of time. IN FACT. A survey by ThroughTek found that 25% of Americans are worried about their connected devices becoming out of date. WHAT'S MORE.. MEH. Although 50% of consumers said that they are "excited about the possibilities of the smart home", this means 50% are not. PRIVACY 71% of consumers worry that smart home technology may lead to personal information being compromised. BUGGY 57% fear that the technology will have too many bugs. AARGGHH, WHY WON'T YOU WORK?! 49% stated that devices failing to work together increased stress in their lives. DAY / NIGHT EMBRACING THE SMART HOME So, problems aside, the Internet of Things is real. It's big and it's only going to get bigger. In 2014 14.4 billion devices formed the 'Internet of Things' - it's predicted that by 2020 this number will have risen to more than 50 billion. INTERNET OF THINGS Number of Connected Devices Worldwide 50 bn 60 50 40 30 20 10 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 This will consist of devices we carry and wear, devices in our cars and at work, and of course, devices that help to enhance our home life. In fact, if we were to fully embrace the smart technology that is already available to us, our homes could look something like this, right now. THE MODERN SMART HOME Voice recognition technology that enables us to control Sensors that detect changes in humidity or temperature, as well as water leaks, and alert you if anything unusual is discovered. Cooking appliances that can be switched on or off or turned up or down from remote locations. lighting and heating, set alarms, play music, and get answers to questions, all without lifting a finger. 4 Rooms that heat up or cool down in line with the predetermined preferences of the person entering the room. 6 Irrigation systems that operate automatically according to forecasted weather 6 Lights that change colour or brightness in accordance with the earth's rotation. O Heating and cooling systems that can be controlled from outside the home, or set to adjust automatically in accordance with the and moisture levels in the garden. outside temperature. 8 Smart door locks that lock automatically behind you, open automatically as you approach, and can be controlled by virtual keys that can be granted to guests. 9 Home monitoring systems that monitor normal movement and noise, and alert you if it detects anything out of the ordinary. sources - raconteur.net Brought to You by: telegraph.co.uk icontrol.com VIBRANTdoors throughtek.com statista.com www.vibrantdoors.co.uk 1960 1970 1980 1990 Connected devices (billions)