Emerging Trends in IT

BY: MUDIT MISRA ANKITA RAMAN DEEPTI SINGH CHAUHAN SHAMBHAVI SINGH

 What are smart homes & what is smart

about this home ???

How it really works ??? Do smart homes have a ground reality or

just a vague idea ???

Online edition of India's National Newspaper Sunday, Aug 08, 2004

Smart homes
For those of you who've watched sci-fi Hollywood films showing computerised intelligent homes and dismissed them as being fantasy, you're going to sit up. They're here in India, says KANCHANA BANERJEE.

 This isn't fiction. Homes in Mumbai and Delhi are going the e-way. Says

Veetrag Bafna, MD, Zeos Infotech, that makes these smart e-Homes, "Name a fantasy and I'll be able to provide it for you." could just be taken care of by a mere call from your mobile or from your computer at work or just about anywhere. Sounds unbelievable but it's true!

Now, you can put all that behind you. Anything that you may have forgotten

So now all those fantastic homes where lights come on at a mere click of a

mouse or where the front door gets locked on pressing a switch are all for real. You can have a finger identification door, or a camera to photograph all visitors who come to your door. You can switch on/off the lights, airconditioner, fan and just about anything in your house by just calling from your mobile. You are taking guests to your home and you don't want to enter a dark house. A call from your mobile will activate the perfect lighting arrangement that has pre-programmed the way you like it to be. you've forgotten to switch off the light, fan or airconditioner on in your bedroom. Or worse, still wondered if you've switched off the geyser in the bath? These are common slips that happen to the best of us. We promise ourselves to be more careful next time but blame it on stress levels.

HOW many times have you been in your car and suddenly remembered that

What happens

??

Amit Gandhi, one of Veetrag's earliest clients, has a house that's sure to
leave you in a tizzy. The main door opens to the touch of his finger but remains stubbornly shut to that of a stranger's. After Gandhi's fingerprint has been identified not only does the door open, but there's also a friendly welcome ushering you in. Lights come on the moment he enters a room and shut off 30 seconds after he walks out. But Gandhi's favourite fantasy the voice light activator, which allows him to say "Let there be light" and the lights come on.

 You can ask for anything and Veetrag and his team can programme

it for you. Want to keep a watch on your children, the pets or the maid in the kitchen? Cameras keep you informed of all that's happening at home. And you can see what's happening at home from anywhere. All you'll need is a computer. If you want the TV to switch off at a certain time so that your children aren't glued to it all day long while you're out, you can do that too.Says Veetrag, "We offer a complete wire free setup. So no digging up your floor or tearing down your walls. I can customise my products to what the clients needs."

An e-smart home package for a two to three-bedroom house/flat

could cost up to Rs. 3.5 lakhs.Nirmal Lifestyle a mega-housing complex that's coming up in the suburb of Mumbai has 100 such ehomes for which Veetrag's Zeos is making the gizmos. A number of other companies have also sprung up offering similar technological wonders. BenQ and Linksys (division of Cisco Systems Inc.) and AEEL (Anchor Electronics and Electrical Ltd) are also big players in the remote control arena.

 Microwave oven manufacturers like LG, Samsung and

Whirlpool have come out with an oven with enough artificial intelligence to figure out the cooking time of different dishes and set the timer by itself. So if you're the intelligent user of these super intelligent gadgets, you can rest easy. No need to worry about what you left undone. It can be fixed from anywhere in the globe as long as you have a mobile and a computer with Internet connection.

That's life for you.

Latest Gizmos
DesignTech Wireless Ultrasonic Back-Up Sensor - 20195VA Back-Up Your Vehicle Safely and With Confidence! An alarm sounds increasing in intensity the closer you get to the object. The digital read-out displays distance of the object behind the vehicle.
$95.95

X10 Pro TouchTone Controller - TR16A Use Your Phone to Control Your Home. X10 Pro TouchTone Controller gives you remote control of Thermostats for Heat & AC, Hot Tubs, Lights or Appliances from any telephone in the world. $57.95

 Motorola Homesight

Home Monitoring & Control System - Easy Start Kit - HME

Check on the baby without disturbing naptime, see who's at the front door without opening it and keep an eye on the kids as they play in the back yard, with a Home Monitoring & Control System from Motorola. Your customized system begins with this Easy Start Kit.

$98.95

Wireless Solar-Powered Driveway Monitor - 33372

Alerts you when a vehicle arrives. Indoor receiver chimes and flashes when a vehicle drives past the sensor in your driveway.

CatStop Ultrasonic Cat Deterrent - CAT-001

$125.95

Keep cats out of your garden with the CatStop! The CatStop detects animal intruders and emits a high decibel alarm which startles them away. The CatStop keeps cats out of your flower gardens, yard or anywhere you don't want them to be.

$62.95

 DesignTech FM Voyager Wireless Transmitter - 20800 Play Your iPod, MP3, CD, or Other Portable Audio Player Through Your Car's FM Stereo. FM Voyager delivers premium sound quality.

$31.95

Weiser Lock Powerbolt

1000 Touchpad Keyless Entry System - ED1460XXXX Powerbolt provides the convenience of keyless access for today's active lifestyle. The latest in electronic technology operates on just 4 AA batteries and permits access with your personalized code or a key.

$108.95

Scat Mat Automatic Indoor Pet Trainer - SCATMAT

Help your cat or dog learn good house manners by keeping them off furniture or counters, or out of selected rooms. Scat Mat emits a mild, harmless static pulse when your pet touches it.

$71.95

 ScareCrow Motion Activated Sprinkler - 20-CRO-1013

Chase animals out of your garden with a sprinkler! Just hook up to your garden hose, plug in the battery and point it over the area to be protected.

$79.95

The Cyberlux Home Safety Light - A113-HSL100

The first long-term portable lighting solution (a full week of dependable light from one battery set) for use during power outages or when power is otherwise unavailable.

$47.95

X10 PRO Lighting Timer Control Kit - Mini Timer and 3 App
Great for daily Audio Reminders, Holiday Lighting, etc.! Store 2 "ON" and 2 "OFF" times daily for 4 modules. Manual remote operation of 8 modules including intensity control and "ALL Lights ON/ All Units OFF" feature.

$62.95

Voice Control
Control all the systems in your house by voice from anywhere in the home or from anywhere in the world. Packaged kits for out of the box home control

Home Automated Living's Voice Control Home Autom

VOS IntelaVoice Voice Operated Wall Switches and Modules Hands free remote operation with your voice, and never worry about finding a light switch in a dark room again.

Climate control

Sensaphone Remote Environmental / Process Moni Mon Automatically contacts you by Phone if unsafe conditions occur. Sensors for Temperature, Humidity, Water, Smoke, Contact Closure, and Motion. x10 Pro TouchTone Controller Use Your Phone to Control Your Home. X10 Pro TouchTone Controller gives you remote control of Thermostats for Heat & AC, Hot Tubs, Lights or Appliances from any telephone in the world.

Remote controls
IR Remote Controls and Touchscreens
Universal, Learning, Preprogrammed, Infrared (IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) Voice Operated Remote Controls for Audio & Video Home Entertainment Systems.

Spitfire Universal Infrared Remote Controls

IR Universal & Learning PC Based Remote Controls using Voice & PC Commands.

Security Remote Controls

Remotes for security systems, and the Wireless Automator for controlling anything that can be controlled with a relay

Lighting appliance & home Automation control

Remotely Located Controllers
Plan these for locations throughout the home for convenient Lighting & Appliance Control. Select from X10 compatible Wall mounted, Tabletop, & Wireless Handheld Controllers

Powerline Conditioning

Eliminate electrical noise from your powerline if intermittent operation is experienced.

Z-Wave Wireless Lighting and Appliance Con

Z-Wave is a wireless RF-based method for instant remote control and automation of lighting and appliance controls.

Video Surveillance
SecureView Video Camera Disguised as Light Bulb
Installation is a snap. Use extra decoders and watch the video from different televisions. Indoor and Outdoor models available.

aiphone Color Video Intercom Systems

Video Room Stations have 4 inch flat color monitors. Audio and Video monitoring & door release from any inside station

Security System
ELK M1 Home Automation and Security System
Wireless & Wired System Integrates Security, Automation, Lighting, and Telephone. The most imaginative and powerful system available. PC Programmable.

Skylink

Wireless Security Systems and Emergency Dialers Skylink wireless security systems are easy to install and expandle to meet your ever changing needs. Choose from one of the many systems available. Add an emergency dialer to ensure you are notified Security and notification for homes and small businesses.Customized Voice-Recordable Alerts.

Voice Alert Wireless Announcement System

Things to be considered when specifying smart homes equipment -: Levels of specification

The design of a smart home needs to take into account not only the form of the house itself but also the requirements, both generic and specific, of the people who may live in and visit the house.

Basic infrastructure.
What are the underlying technologies that will be used to provide interoperability in the home?

Context specific requirements.

The design and structure of the building in which they will be installed will influence the technologies decided on.

User specific function.

The infrastructure and basic set of equipment can be customised by the addition of devices to meet the specific needs and preferences of the residents of the home.

Recommendation.
An appropriate understanding of the user and their needs will form an essential part of any specification.

What the house can do ??

Telephone control. Integrated security. Safety system. Independent living. Making life easier.