Four Home Automation Technologies You Didn’t Know Existed

Home automation is it exciting—and it’s constantly evolving. Enormous strides have been made in recent years thanks to the increasing strength of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, voice recognition, and other vital components of smart technology. You probably already know about smart thermostats and smart lighting systems—but here are four areas of home automation that might be news to you.

1. Voice Control

Remember “the clapper”? It wasn’t so long ago that this invention (which allowed you to turn the lights on and off by clapping your hands) seemed like a marvel of modern technology. These days it’s more of a joke than anything—but the concept still exists, and in fact is being taken to higher and higher levels.

Voice control is fast becoming one of the gold standard in home automation technology. The Increased sophistication a voice control has recently appeared in various devices designed by major companies such as Apple and Amazon. That same sophistication is reaching into home automation, and will soon allow us to control any number areas of our homes by simply uttering the right verbal commands. Whether it’s turning on the stereo, watering the lawn, changing the channel while watching TV, or even preheating the oven, we’ll soon be able to do it with sophisticated voice control.

2. Smart Sprinklers

Managing your lawn and gardens just became a whole lot easier, more efficient, and more interactive—thanks to the advent of smart sprinkler technology. Using your integrated apps or touchscreen control panels, it’s now possible to maximize the efficiency of your water supply and make sure your grass and plants have enough water, no matter where you are in the world. Smart sprinklers can also learn your watering patterns, and become sensitive to varying levels of sun exposure on your property, adjusting the water distribution accordingly.

3. Smart Shades/Blinds

How many times have you struggled to raise or lower the blinds in various parts of your home due to thin, cheap straps that often become tangled? The blinds of the future will not rely on primitive cords and straps, but will be raised and lowered effortlessly by touchscreen or verbal commands—and the future is already here. This is just one of the ways in which we are able to control and prepare our homes before we even arrive, or after we leave.

4. Smart Locks

Smart locks can make life easier for homeowners in so many different ways. We use clickers to manage the locks on our vehicles, but have been slower to adopt this technology to our residences. But now that the technology has evolved to a much higher level of security, it’s time to start integrating smart locks into our lives. Forget about juggling those keys with an arm full of groceries. Issue unique entry codes for various individuals and keep track of who enters and when. Integrate your entry way with your thermostat, so that the system automatically saves energy when you leave and kicks on when you walk through the door.

Should I talk to an expert or simply start buying/installing gadgets?

Home automation is reaching a level of sophistication we have never seen before, and to make the most of it, homeowners are seeking the support of dedicated home automation specialists. This takes the guesswork out of the equation and allows you to truly leverage the power of this exciting new technology.