The very idea of a smart home seems like something out of science fiction. However, we have already witnessed the technological developments that have changed domestic living as we know it. With devices like smart thermostats and smart light installations, seemingly mundane tasks can suddenly take on a whole new sense of wonder and excitement. There’s no sign of smart homes slowing down here. Here are some things we can expect from smart homes by 2020.
A Room of One’s Own
Have you ever walked into a room that felt just right? The layout, the temperature, the overall atmosphere was seemingly made to your liking specifically? Well, smart homes might soon be doing something just like that. It is believed that smart homes will be able to tune each room based on the preferences of whoever is in it. How? Occupants will wear a special bracelet-type device that will alert the house as to who you are through your heartbeat. From there, the house will make the proper adjustments, from dimming or brightening the lights, to playing your favorite music.
A More Secure Home
While home security systems do exist, smart home technologies could make your house a truly impenetrable fortress. Smart home security can offer you strong video resolution and can’t-miss features such as being able to lock your doors via a remote control. As the technology advances and demand increases, smart homes should completely change the way we view home security.
Reminders
It can often feel like we have too much on our plates sometimes. That’s why it’s always a good idea to make to-do lists and get tasks out of the way immediately. However, a smart home could really make a difference in terms of time management. With many developments in home automation, it’s not unreasonable to imagine receiving alerts pertaining to important matters like taking out the trash or turning off the kitchen light when it’s time to go to bed. Imagine that instead of waiting impatiently for an important letter, you instead get an alert on your phone from your mailbox telling you that the mail has arrived? The possibilities really are endless.
A Better Environment
While we are striving to better the environment through reducing our carbon footprints, it can be hard to balance a sustainable mindset with a desire to be as comfortable as possible. Instead of going completely off the grid and foregoing electricity, smart homes could lead us to a very promising future. Smart thermostats, which provide sensible room temperatures, can save users over $100 a year in heating and cooling costs. A barrage of other smart devices could save you even more on your energy bills. Since smart devices know when to shut off, you don’t have to worry about wasting energy. Plus, you can surely appreciate the convenience of not having to get up to unplug or shut off devices.
Let There Be Light
Unless you have a dimmer switch, your lights are bound to be either on or off. Even with a dimmer switch, there’s not a whole lot of variation available for you. However, smart homes could be a game-changer for how lights, a common energy consumer, are used. Instead of bright lights shining in all hours of the day, smart home lights will adjust accordingly to the time of day. Suppose you’re sleeping and have to get up to use the restroom? Well, when you turn the light on, it will be set according to the time of day, rather than blinding you with brightness.
What’s next for automation after these hopefully-soon developments? We cannot be sure, but given how much progress has been made already, there will definitely be some things worth waiting for. Even if you aren’t interested in obtaining or able to afford a fully-smart home, you should definitely consider purchasing a few smart gadgets.