The rise of connectivity and wireless technology means more opportunities to create home automation systems, controlling everything from entertainment centers to heating. At the center of all home automation systems, there is a ‘hub.’ This is a centralized system controlling all smart home devices, which uses your z-wave, network, ZigBee, broadband, and Bluetooth, among other protocols.
Due to the market interest in opening up smart home automation systems, many smart products may work with various hub systems nowadays. Although there are a lot of options, the following are some of the systems, which are worth an investment:
- Lighting Control System
This system offers security in stores when a motion-detection sensor is installed outside and energy savings when you automate the interior lighting.
Apart from deterring potential burglars, the lighting control system can also save you from falling on icy or wet stairs.
- Smart TVs
Basically, a smart TV refers to the television itself, though in this case, it is an umbrella statement for every IoT video streaming device.
There are many options nowadays when it comes to streaming TV. You may get a literal smart TV, which streams Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu, straight from the unit itself. You can also pair your smart TV with a Central Control hub and Smart Speakers, making your house even smarter.
- Hubitat
Compatible with nearly every home automation and voice control method, including Google Assistant and Alexa, Hubitat may control more than 200 home appliances and devices. Because the device works with a local processor, it can be a suitable device for people looking for home automation without the internet.
You may also customize dashboards through an app for each user and every room. This means you may control everything from garden watering systems and smoke alarms to lights, thermostats, and speakers.
- Smart Thermostats
Cooling and heating account for approximately 51% of the energy use in the average Australian home.
Smart thermostats are capable of learning your everyday routines and automatically turn/off at set points in the day so as to ensure you don’t cool or heat an empty home.
- Sonos One
If you are unable to decide between Alexa, Google Assistant, and Amazon, you don’t need to. Sonos One support both sound-wise and voice assistants, making it a suitable system than other speakers.
You can also connect it with other Sonos speakers, such as Move, Arc, and Beam, so as to deliver superior sound quality.
- Wink Hub
This is touted as the first smart home hub used by mainstream users. Unlike Google Assistant and Alexa, Wink Hub doesn’t have brand loyalty, enabling you to choose different smart products and merge seamlessly with other devices.
Wink also supports smart home protocols, including Lutron ClearConnect, Bluetooth LE, and Kidde, just to name a few. If you want to establish a fully integrated smart home with wall appliances and kitchen in-sync, this can be a great option to control commands, such as garage doors or light switches.
In a Nutshell!
As you probably know, home automation and smart home devices are getting a lot of attention nowadays by giant companies, such as Google, Samsung, and Apple. However, there might be a wide gap between true custom home automation and the capability to connect different devices across a wireless network.
Choosing the right smart home system requires research and time, but if you do it right, you will be able to handle electronic systems, improve security, save energy, and feel comfortable.