Building smart homes has become a reality, improving our lives and giving us unprecedented control and security. Smart infrastructure is just one example of how intelligent automation and Artificial Intelligence, or AI, can impact our lives. The ultimate goal of intelligent automation is to limit the need for human involvement, and with AI, this goal is within reach.

How to build a smart home with IoT smart solutions

Building a smart home allows homeowners to improve functionality and efficiency while enjoying complete peace of mind. It's all possible through the Internet of Things, or IoT, and intelligent automation.

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Smart homes are a collection of intelligent devices and appliances connected to the internet, which can “speak” to each other. IoT enables connectivity, while intelligent automation collects data to provide comprehensive control. Users can readily monitor all linked devices and adjust settings using one centralized device.

But how do you build a smart home?

1. Assess your needs: Think about what aspects of your home you want to automate and the problems you want to solve. Outline your requirements and identify the areas or features that need upgrading, such as temperature control, lighting, and security
2. Choose your technology: There are many smart devices available in the market, including smart locks, smart speakers, cameras, voice assistants, and thermostats. Prioritize the devices you need and evaluate their compatibility with other technology
3. Install and configure devices: Follow the installation instructions provided by the manufacturers, and test your devices to ensure they are working seamlessly. Configure your devices through the accompanying apps, and ensure that they can communicate with each other
4. Create a smart hub: Anticipate the number of devices that will connect to your network and build a smart hub, which acts as a central control for all IoT smart solutions, enabling the devices of a smart home to communicate and respond with each other through a central point. It also allows you to easily manage all your devices from a single platform
5. Monitor and maintain: Keep track of your devices regularly to ensure they work correctly. Updates are released frequently for smart home devices, so stay up-to-date with the latest software versions to enhance security and performance
6. Consider user privacy and security: With the increased connectivity and automation of smart homes, security, and privacy should be a top priority. Secure your devices with robust passwords, enable multifactor authentication, and acquaint yourself with the privacy policies of the devices you install

With smart homes, you can enjoy less workload, improved reliability, and increased efficiency. Gone are the days of manual or timed operation. Say hello to a new era of smart home living.

The benefits of intelligent automation and smart infrastructure

Smart homes are an exciting advancement altering how we operate, improving convenience while helping our planet. Rather than relying on preset timers or manual operation, intelligent automation systems allow for a customized living experience while simplifying day-to-day tasks.

These systems allow us to control devices and appliances from anywhere - inside or outside the house. From saving energy and managing waste to increasing convenience, they offer numerous advantages that put smart homes at the forefront of home technology.

Comfort

The intelligent automation system enables homeowners to customize settings for each room to maintain optimal comfort - from room temperature to lighting intensity and air conditioning; it ensures that homeowners can enhance their comfort in every corner of their homes.

Furthermore, installing smart locks adds even more comfort and convenience. Homeowners can remotely lock and unlock their doors, grant access to visitors, and receive notifications of activity at the door, freeing them from worrying about lost keys or rushing home to let someone in.

Technological advancements in the smart lock industry have improved the daily lives of many homeowners, and the Nuki smart lock offers maximum convenience to its customers. Nuki Home Solutions is a supplier of smart home solutions in Europe. The company's products aim to turn smartphones into smart keys and make physical keys irrelevant.

Nuki's signature product, the Smart Lock, is mounted inside existing door locks and provides permanent internet access. Nuki's smart door lock ensures maximum convenience for customers by using Bluetooth to automatically open the entrance door when an authorized person approaches and closes the door at the push of a button. Nuki's approach to leveraging technological innovation to simplify our lives is a game-changer.

Energy efficiency

Smart buildings can save energy by using motion sensors, which can turn on and off the lights as soon as a person enters or leaves a room. Intelligent automation can also control the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, dynamically adjusting them based on weather conditions or occupancy - this can lower energy bills and reduce the homeowner's carbon footprint, making it a sustainable choice.

Powahome is an ideal solution for homeowners looking to save energy and become more sustainable. This startup has developed an innovative device that can be installed in existing electrical boxes and adds “smart” capabilities to switches, sockets, and motorized blinds. Powahome is programmable and customizable through an app, allowing homeowners to control their home's lighting and shading remotely.

The device retains memory and clock even after a power outage and can integrate with existing house wiring for added convenience. With Powahome, homeowners can reduce their energy consumption and make their homes more sustainable while enjoying the comfort of home automation technology.

Security and safety

Integrating smart locks, sensors, and security cameras via intelligent automation presents an opportunity to create a more secure environment. With the ability to recognize regular household activities, these devices can alert homeowners instantly if anything abnormal occurs.

The system also allows for remote locking and unlocking of doors via smartphones. Homeowners can also opt to monitor suspicious activities through the security systems set up along the perimeter of their properties.The startup BeON has created an innovative approach to home protection to ensure home safety and security.

The BeON system learns the user’s everyday interaction patterns with a home’s light switches and replicates that rhythm when they are away to create the illusion of home occupancy. With BeON, homeowners can go beyond just having a security system to having a preventative layer of protection, ensuring their safety and security at all times.

Entertainment and connectivity

Smart homes can provide customized entertainment solutions to homeowners, including smart speakers, televisions, streaming devices, and home assistants working together seamlessly. The system can automatically turn off the lights, lower the shades, and set the perfect temperature for movie nights.

Control4 is a promising startup providing entertainment and connectivity in a smart home. The company's products include smart lighting, thermostats, home audio and video systems, and more. One notable feature of Control4's entertainment system is its ability to integrate with multiple streaming services, such as Spotify, Pandora, and TIDAL, and control them all through a single remote or app.

Cost-effective in the long-term

Although building a smart home can have a higher upfront cost than a traditional home, the long-term benefits make it worth the investment. With intelligent automation solutions, efficient energy usage and lower maintenance costs can lead to a quick return on investment. Additionally, the ease of use and fewer repairs and replacements needed over time make smart homes an intelligent choice for a sustainable future.

Challenges involved in building smart homes with intelligent automation

Building a smart home with intelligent automation comes with its share of challenges. One of the biggest challenges is ensuring all system components' seamless integration. Building a smart home means relying on multiple interconnected devices to create a cohesive environment. Consequently, this requires an intricate combination of software, hardware, and networking to work together smoothly to make an intelligent automation system capable of meeting the homeowner's needs.

Custom smart homes also raise significant concerns about data privacy and security. Introducing new technology into our most private space also means thinking about protecting user data and securing it against cyberattacks and privacy breaches. Experts in the tech industry must tackle these challenges while remembering that homeowners want intelligent, easy-to-use, reliable, and secure homes.

Opinion on using intelligent automation to build smart homes

By Rebecca Rosser, Ventures Associate for Plug and Play Smart Cities

Intelligent automation holds tremendous potential in transforming traditional homes into energy-efficient marvels, and its role has become even more compelling in light of recent legislation, such as theEuropean Green Deal(2021, EU), theInflation Reduction Act (2022, USA), and theNet Zero Strategy (2021, UK).

The emergence of devices that integrate and optimize a home's electrification and digitalization on a holistic level is an exciting development in the smart home industry. These devices act as a bridge between voice-controlled virtual assistants like Amazon's Alexa and comprehensive Smart IoT devices, offering homeowners a seamless and integrated experience.

One of the key advantages of these devices is their ability to provide a centralized control hub for various aspects of a home's electrification. They go beyond focusing solely on HVAC systems and instead offer a comprehensive approach to managing the entire home ecosystem. This includes integrating and controlling devices such as WiFi routers, doorbells, security cameras, lighting systems, etc. Bringing these disparate elements together gives homeowners a unified control interface and a more cohesive smart home experience.

For example, Tewke is an early-stage UK-based startup that has created a platform that can control all the energy in the home in an elegant and intuitive way. They have done this by developing a cutting-edge device that, incredibly, can act as a full home automation system, controlling lighting, individual electronic devices, heating, music, fire and flood detection and act as a full CCTV system, all within an elegant device that is ¾ the size of an iPhone. This allows the company to control most of the energy in the home and optimise the home to save at least 30% of energy.

Therefore, while intelligent automation already offers benefits in terms of comfort and security, its ability to optimize energy usage and reduce environmental impact is a particularly interesting innovation area.

Looking ahead: the future of smart homes

Smart buildings are changing our lives, making cities more sustainable and homes more connected, comfortable, and secure. As technology evolves, intelligent automation becomes increasingly prevalent, providing homeowners personalized control over their security, energy consumption, and more. Today's AI has become so powerful that yesterday's tasks are no longer a concern of today or tomorrow.

Innovative home technologies make us rethink how we live and manage our households. By working with innovative startups, Plug and Play aims to tackle environmental issues while creating more efficient and personalized living environments. Join us in harnessing the power of intelligent automation technology to create a better future.