So, you are considering getting into the home automation game. All your friends are doing it; some of your family members are too. Now it’s your turn. But before you dive into something you will regret, do yourself a favor and get some research under your belt. There is a lot you need to investigate, including the three things you must have before you can automate anything.
Learn what these three things are before you start looking at ecosystems or investigating brands. They are the be-all and end-all of home automation, regardless of how different manufacturers try to set their devices apart from the competition.
One last thing before we get to the three key components: home automation seems complicated thanks to all the industry jargon and so many blog posts and how-to guides written by people trying to sound like experts. But at the end of the day, home automation is as simple as triggers and actions. That’s really it.
1. Home Automation Devices
The starting point for home automation are the devices you use in your home. Without smart devices capable of being automated, there would be no such thing as home automation. A good way to understand this is to step away from the digital age and think of an earlier era.
When the electric washing machine was first introduced to American homes, it was a modern wonder. It was also a home automation device. Families could throw their laundry into a machine, add some detergent, push a button, and walk away. Doing the laundry was suddenly an automated task. Mom no longer had to spend hours using a washboard and a tub.
In the modern age, we have two basic types of home automation devices:
Passive Devices
Passive devices only respond to commands sent by the system. They do nothing in and of themselves. A good example is the smart light fixture. The fixture has no embedded sensor designed to react to the environment. Instead, it only changes its state after receiving a signal from the system. One signal turns the fixture on, and another turns it off.
Active Devices
Active devices can receive signals from the system as well as send signals in response to environmental changes. Consider a video camera with an embedded motion sensor. That motion sensor can detect movement, triggering the camera to start recording video data. That same camera can receive a signal from the system, allowing a homeowner to monitor live video feeds in real time.
Both passive and active devices can be harnessed for home automation purposes. But they can sometimes be harnessed for security purposes as well. The wireless camera is a great example here, too. While a camera is a great way to keep an eye on pets during the day, it’s also a tool for preventing burglary.
2. Home Automation Apps
The second thing you must have before you can automate your home is one or more home automation apps. These apps are pieces of software that give you control over the devices in your system. I have several smart plugs from TP-Link in my home. If I wanted to, I could control and program each of them with a companion app on my smartphone.
The interesting thing about apps is that you can choose a single app to control all your devices as long as your system supports it. The system from Vivint Home Security does just that. Vivint has a mobile app that offers full system control without ever having to use the centralized hub that comes with the hardware.
Using Multiple Apps
Some homeowners have their automation systems set up with individual apps for every device. Earlier I mentioned I could control my TP-Link plugs with a companion app. I have chosen not to for the simple fact that I have devices from half-a-dozen different manufacturers in my system. I really don’t want to have to play with six different apps.
The benefit of using individual apps for each device is not having to have a central hub. Ditching the central hub makes configuration a lot easier. You also do not have to worry about system compatibility. Every device will work with the app that comes with it.
Less Complex Integrations
The downside of dispensing with the hub is limiting your ability to integrate devices. With a hub, you can use one device action to trigger another. So even if you have devices from different manufacturers, they can be programmed to work together.
3. A Home Automation Platform
The last thing you need before you can automate your home is a platform that ties everything together. This platform can exist on a centralized hub you purchase from a manufacturer, or on an old laptop, desktop, or Raspberry Pi device.
The platform’s primary rule is one of coordination. Think of it like an air traffic controller. The platform receives all incoming signals and sends all outgoing signals. It coordinates the digital traffic between devices and apps. Ironically, most platforms come with their own apps as well.
I use an open-source platform known as Home Assistant. It has its own mobile app. I use the app because it eliminates the need for me to download and install the companion apps that came with each of my devices. Everything is controlled through the Home Assistant platform using my phone or a web-based portal I access with my laptop.
Platforms and Smart Speakers
It’s worth noting that popular smart speakers can usually act as home automation platforms. In addition to Home Assistant, I also utilize Amazon Alexa through en Echo device. If my Home Assistant installation ever fails for whatever reason, my Echo device still gives me access to everything on the system.
Home automation sounds more complicated than it is. Once you understand the role of each component and how the three work together, mastering home automation is no more complicated than learning about the capabilities that each of your devices possesses.