Looking forward to it. I started looking at automation just a month ago. It looks like you have all of my concerns covered. I was surprised how rare it seemed to have a PC or project board in charge of all the components. I will watch your conclusions about open APIs.
So far the only iot device I have is the hue lights because they work on my intranet only if I choose.
I've only found a few older WiFi thermostats that work on intranet without inet but the Nest, Honeywell, ecobee all require inet to function remotely (granted all will work as a regular programmable thermostat if inet goes down, albeit expensive ones). This is frustrating.
Why is Home Automation Hot? Uh, its not. Just because the federal reserve printed up a bunch of money and gave it to a small group of people so they could buy yachts, Teslas, Rolls Royces, and smart hone crap doesnt mean this sector has legs. This crap is way too expensive and you'll never make up the cost in increased energy savings which makes this purely a vanity play rather than any sort of practical move.
Apologies, but basic home automation like switched power outlets are available for less than $40. Almost everybody has smartphones for command and control and home automation devices are no longer considered luxury items. That is why IoT and home automation space is poised for rapid growth.
It does not mean it will be popular, the same for "smart watches" any regular person knew that was a flop from the start. Home automation is just something else that is not required at all. Unless you are geek savvy most people do not care about any home automation stuff at all.
Automation is really only useful in the commercial world. People are easy to forget that home automation tried to take off in the 2000s as well.
Soooo... you're saying there is no room in the market for products that serve a market that is not mainstream or commercial? There is no point in serving enthusiasts and hobbyists? It either goes mainstream or it's a complete flop? And further, you're saying that there is no chance for a niche market to grow in the future, when the right combination of technology and marketing develops?
I want to remind you that the home computer was one of those niche markets for about twenty years, the exclusive domain of "nerds" armed with soldering irons and compilers. The pocket computer suffered just as mightily before being renamed the personal digital assistant, and again renamed to smartphone.
Also home theaters. While that slews far away from the typical subject matter in these parts, it was nonetheless a market dominated by enthusiasts with specialized knowledge who paid quite handsomely for things like LaserDisk players, >20" televisions(with S-VIDEO ports!), and surround sound decoders. And universal remotes to control all these disparate devices with one controller.
And home automation's been tooling around for MUCH longer than the turn of the century. X10 stuff launched in the 1970s. And having grown up in a nerd home, I ALSO grew up in a home full of X10 modules and controllers. Certainly, they were of limited functionality, but they were also pretty darn cool.
Now, I do think it's likely home automation will never go mainstream(most homes simply aren't large enough for it to be worth the effort), but... why is that a problem? There still exists an enthusiastic niche market that isn't going away.
I see no reason to write something off as "a flop" just because you won't ever sell it to every home in the country. Frankly, it shocks me to see such an attitude on a technology website, though I guess I'm proud that computers are treated the same as toasters, microwaves, and televisions nowadays.
The computer and home automation are totally two different things. X10 stuff as you say is still a niche market..been around since the 70s if what you say is correct. That should say something.
It is really easy to write stuff off more than ever. Technology is more prone to fads than any other sector..minus clothing lines. lol
As I said, I doubt home automation will ever go fully mainstream(though HDMI's CEC feature has brought it a bit closer than it's ever been.). But that doesn't inherently mean it's a complete flop and there should be no time spent on it by anyone. There's plenty of room in the world for niche markets. ... Now if someone would just make a bridge to bring CEC controls out from the HDMI cable so OTHER things can issue them...
I agree with Ganesh. I think there was a market there several years ago. One of the biggest problems is consumers not knowing about the possibilities. Home automation is the next big thing. I will say these first gen products are rather lame or priced too high for wide spread adoption. Door locks you can open with your phone; practical especially for temporary access or finding out what time the kid got home.
With appropriate sensors you could have all those high dollar appliances that none of us remember to do maintenance on tell us through reminders triggered on need instead of time. An example would be a furnace air filter.
Are you aware that Home Automation (HA) can detect a leak and shut off the water to prevent a flood (the #1 cause for insurance claims in the world)? HA can tell you if the refrigerator has shut down, so you avoid coming home to a spoiled pile of food. HA can send you an alert when your kids arrive home safe from school each day. HA can alert a loved one if grandma hasn't gotten out of bed by her normal time or has fallen in the bathroom, significantly reducing the magnitude of the incident because someone can respond right away rather than hours, or even days, later. In turn, it significantly reduces the strain on the world's healthcare system by allowing the elderly to live independently longer. HA allows a countless number of disabled people to live more comfortably, not to mention independently, in their homes as well.
It's not just about turning lights on and off and energy savings, and it's definitely not just about vanity.
I realize Apple's HomeKit has not yet arrived, and to be honest, I am still confused as to what the requirements are. But as an iOS user, I would love to see it mentioned.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. HomeKit is a framework. I will add an aspect 'Supported frameworks for interoperability' in the summary table.
Re Security: There can be no guarantees, however if the device doesn't need incoming NAT through the local firewall/router (and doesn't use uPnP either), then it is only exposing itself to the cloud servers rather than the whole internet.
Some people open a NAT to their WHS or NAS servers, which is a significant risk esp. if the systems are kept well-patched.
Barry, Thanks for your insights. Yes, security-wise, nothing can be guaranteed.
The main problem with exposure to the vendor's cloud servers is that it requires only a single system compromise on the vendor's side to cause widespread issues for all consumers.
The ideal solution would be to not require any communication with the cloud, but only within the local network. One extra step would be to adopt some form of authentication even within the local network.
For users requiring external access, port forwarding (particularly with the seamless uPnP framework) is fraught with risk. It would be nice if router vendors offered an easy-to-use VPN package - that would mean that the mobile device on the net can always access the home automation devices as though they were all in the same local network.
There is plenty to do in this space to make things secure and user-friendly without compromising safety and security aspects - the problem is that most of these approaches do not generate the recurring revenue that startups and VCs look for - So, no one seems to be tackling them with required enthusiasm and funding.
You forgot "is the product open source friendly." There is a huge universe of interesting software and devices being developed openly that work in an open ecosystem. For example, Huginn. This inherently means your home devices are not dependent on the cloud.
The battery issue and the insecurity of Bluetooth LE is my main concern. Could the sensors for windows and doors use a passive energy collection device maybe augmented with a small solar cell? Also smart bulbs are stupid, we need smart bulb sockets to convert lamps, and they should be able to test for dead bulbs and control led intensity. Maybe even make the lamp able to be controlled by physical touch?
I am yet to look into details of how Echo works - but, can you let me know whether it works if your Internet connection is down?
Amazon Echo will definitely be a major force in the market - the issue I foresee with these types of automation hubs is that you are reliant on them to bring in support for any new home automation devices that come up. Compare that with running your own home automation server and using devices that have open APIs so that you can configure it on your own / get the help of a user-driven community.
Devices like Amazon Echo, Logitech Home Automation Hub etc. are definitely great for the average consumer - just like Dropcam is awesome for the average consumer. The problem is that these tend to create a situation where it will become acceptable for everything to be a pure cloud play.
sorry for only being amongst the ranks of "the average consumer" - but I think that's who this article is talking about. as to internet interruptions - true - but how often is your internet down? assuming you don't live in podunk somewhere. the future only leads to more stability and greater coverage. so these devices may be ahead of the curve at the moment, but not for long. if we're talking about security systems - it will be a long time before I feel comfortable about relying on electronic devices of any kind to secure my personal premises - I'll stick with hard locks and keys and side step the hackers who want access to my possessions. but I'm okay with the idea of controlling non secure systems like lighting, A/V, heating, etc. inside my four walls. as to cloud play - that is, like it or not, where everything is going - just as in the olden days when cell phones and towers were few and far between and now blanket the landscape, so cloud interaction will be completely pervasive and we won't think twice about working in/through the cloud to control devices, store data, etc.
The Internet being up is only one aspect. Security of your network (not physical home alone) is another important point - I am pretty sure people have important data in the computers inside their network. Do people want to give their home automation device vendor a way to get into the network? They may not have nefarious intentions, but it only takes a compromise of their cloud server to expose all their customers' networks.
In addition, did you see what happened to Wink hub owners over the weekend? Wink got caught with their pants down and rendered their hubs inoperative for quite some time - It is as if they had a kill switch for the hardware product already in the hands of the consumers.
I don't wish to sound like a scaremonger here, but , as I mentioned, the purpose of this piece is to encourage consumers to choose the 'non-cloud' home automation device / hub over the 'cloud-based' one - just so that the consumers can remain in control.
You make a good point ganesh... These are relatively simple devices that would have a longish shelf life, and assuming they do what you want don't really need to be upgraded.
However if they only work so long as the cloud service is up, then they might have an artificially short shelf life if that service goes down or is changed. Look at the recent Youtube API change. While not a direct comparison, they've just rendered apps in old* tvs and bluray players (*as in apps on players older than 2013 - so not that old) inoperable. At least those players still play blurays but...
Thats a great way to get you to buy new hardware and subscribe to a service every couple of years, when what you initially had was fine and from a hardware point of view was still fine.
Home automation and IoT are hot topics for vendors, but I wonder if this market segment will flop in a similar fashion to 3D televisions. Outside of a few geek friends, I have yet to hear anyone talk about HA or IoT, though HA has been around for more than a decade.
Great start, Ganesh T S. Looking forward to future pieces. I'd like to run a future home automation system from the wrist with Android Wear as the UCI. I've seen a few demos on Youtube, using the Tasker app in conjunction with other apps, such as Autovoice, and AutoHue for the Philips Hue lighting. This enables controlling the system with your voice. Would be thrilling if future articles include perspectives on this.
Eh, have no desire to automate my home. Just more cost and wasted power for all these active devices. And there's no way I'd ever buy one of these devices if it's required to be connect to the internet/cloud.
I played with the BSR stuff many years ago and ended up removing it since I never really used it.
Home and industrial automation is “The Internet of Things"The way that all of our devices and appliances will be networked together to provide us with a seamless control over all aspects of our home and more. from Akshaya automation. http://www.akshayaautomations.com
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32 Comments
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Neden - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
This is really cool. I like Iris, but the stuff K4Connect is doing is pretty amazing.wiz329 - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Great article. Glad to see such a comprehensive set of criteria by which your reviews will be guided in the future.UrQuan3 - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Looking forward to it. I started looking at automation just a month ago. It looks like you have all of my concerns covered. I was surprised how rare it seemed to have a PC or project board in charge of all the components. I will watch your conclusions about open APIs.BuddyRich - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Point #1 +10000So far the only iot device I have is the hue lights because they work on my intranet only if I choose.
I've only found a few older WiFi thermostats that work on intranet without inet but the Nest, Honeywell, ecobee all require inet to function remotely (granted all will work as a regular programmable thermostat if inet goes down, albeit expensive ones). This is frustrating.
Shadowmaster625 - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Why is Home Automation Hot? Uh, its not. Just because the federal reserve printed up a bunch of money and gave it to a small group of people so they could buy yachts, Teslas, Rolls Royces, and smart hone crap doesnt mean this sector has legs. This crap is way too expensive and you'll never make up the cost in increased energy savings which makes this purely a vanity play rather than any sort of practical move.ganeshts - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Apologies, but basic home automation like switched power outlets are available for less than $40. Almost everybody has smartphones for command and control and home automation devices are no longer considered luxury items. That is why IoT and home automation space is poised for rapid growth.imaheadcase - Saturday, April 18, 2015 - link
It does not mean it will be popular, the same for "smart watches" any regular person knew that was a flop from the start. Home automation is just something else that is not required at all. Unless you are geek savvy most people do not care about any home automation stuff at all.Automation is really only useful in the commercial world. People are easy to forget that home automation tried to take off in the 2000s as well.
imaheadcase - Saturday, April 18, 2015 - link
To clarify, home SECURITY already took off. But the other stuff won't make a dent.Lord of the Bored - Saturday, April 18, 2015 - link
Soooo... you're saying there is no room in the market for products that serve a market that is not mainstream or commercial? There is no point in serving enthusiasts and hobbyists? It either goes mainstream or it's a complete flop?And further, you're saying that there is no chance for a niche market to grow in the future, when the right combination of technology and marketing develops?
I want to remind you that the home computer was one of those niche markets for about twenty years, the exclusive domain of "nerds" armed with soldering irons and compilers. The pocket computer suffered just as mightily before being renamed the personal digital assistant, and again renamed to smartphone.
Also home theaters. While that slews far away from the typical subject matter in these parts, it was nonetheless a market dominated by enthusiasts with specialized knowledge who paid quite handsomely for things like LaserDisk players, >20" televisions(with S-VIDEO ports!), and surround sound decoders. And universal remotes to control all these disparate devices with one controller.
And home automation's been tooling around for MUCH longer than the turn of the century. X10 stuff launched in the 1970s. And having grown up in a nerd home, I ALSO grew up in a home full of X10 modules and controllers. Certainly, they were of limited functionality, but they were also pretty darn cool.
Now, I do think it's likely home automation will never go mainstream(most homes simply aren't large enough for it to be worth the effort), but... why is that a problem? There still exists an enthusiastic niche market that isn't going away.
I see no reason to write something off as "a flop" just because you won't ever sell it to every home in the country. Frankly, it shocks me to see such an attitude on a technology website, though I guess I'm proud that computers are treated the same as toasters, microwaves, and televisions nowadays.
imaheadcase - Sunday, April 19, 2015 - link
The computer and home automation are totally two different things. X10 stuff as you say is still a niche market..been around since the 70s if what you say is correct. That should say something.It is really easy to write stuff off more than ever. Technology is more prone to fads than any other sector..minus clothing lines. lol
Lord of the Bored - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link
As I said, I doubt home automation will ever go fully mainstream(though HDMI's CEC feature has brought it a bit closer than it's ever been.). But that doesn't inherently mean it's a complete flop and there should be no time spent on it by anyone. There's plenty of room in the world for niche markets....
Now if someone would just make a bridge to bring CEC controls out from the HDMI cable so OTHER things can issue them...
Friendly0Fire - Sunday, April 19, 2015 - link
When Pebble, a small company with just about no marketing budget, sells a million smart watches... I'd take that "flop" alright.eanazag - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link
I agree with Ganesh. I think there was a market there several years ago. One of the biggest problems is consumers not knowing about the possibilities. Home automation is the next big thing. I will say these first gen products are rather lame or priced too high for wide spread adoption. Door locks you can open with your phone; practical especially for temporary access or finding out what time the kid got home.With appropriate sensors you could have all those high dollar appliances that none of us remember to do maintenance on tell us through reminders triggered on need instead of time. An example would be a furnace air filter.
jjsirek - Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - link
Are you aware that Home Automation (HA) can detect a leak and shut off the water to prevent a flood (the #1 cause for insurance claims in the world)? HA can tell you if the refrigerator has shut down, so you avoid coming home to a spoiled pile of food. HA can send you an alert when your kids arrive home safe from school each day. HA can alert a loved one if grandma hasn't gotten out of bed by her normal time or has fallen in the bathroom, significantly reducing the magnitude of the incident because someone can respond right away rather than hours, or even days, later. In turn, it significantly reduces the strain on the world's healthcare system by allowing the elderly to live independently longer. HA allows a countless number of disabled people to live more comfortably, not to mention independently, in their homes as well.It's not just about turning lights on and off and energy savings, and it's definitely not just about vanity.
nutmac - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
I realize Apple's HomeKit has not yet arrived, and to be honest, I am still confused as to what the requirements are. But as an iOS user, I would love to see it mentioned.ganeshts - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. HomeKit is a framework. I will add an aspect 'Supported frameworks for interoperability' in the summary table.bobbozzo - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Ganesh, thanks for the article.Re Security: There can be no guarantees, however if the device doesn't need incoming NAT through the local firewall/router (and doesn't use uPnP either), then it is only exposing itself to the cloud servers rather than the whole internet.
Some people open a NAT to their WHS or NAS servers, which is a significant risk esp. if the systems are kept well-patched.
Barry
ganeshts - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Barry, Thanks for your insights. Yes, security-wise, nothing can be guaranteed.The main problem with exposure to the vendor's cloud servers is that it requires only a single system compromise on the vendor's side to cause widespread issues for all consumers.
The ideal solution would be to not require any communication with the cloud, but only within the local network. One extra step would be to adopt some form of authentication even within the local network.
For users requiring external access, port forwarding (particularly with the seamless uPnP framework) is fraught with risk. It would be nice if router vendors offered an easy-to-use VPN package - that would mean that the mobile device on the net can always access the home automation devices as though they were all in the same local network.
There is plenty to do in this space to make things secure and user-friendly without compromising safety and security aspects - the problem is that most of these approaches do not generate the recurring revenue that startups and VCs look for - So, no one seems to be tackling them with required enthusiasm and funding.
gcoupe - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
It's a jungle out there, with a dog's breakfast of competing standards and technologies. Good luck in trying to herd the cats.I've dipped my toes in, and gone with an open source Zwave approach: https://gcoupe.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/home-autom...
personne - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
You forgot "is the product open source friendly." There is a huge universe of interesting software and devices being developed openly that work in an open ecosystem. For example, Huginn. This inherently means your home devices are not dependent on the cloud.toyotabedzrock - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
The battery issue and the insecurity of Bluetooth LE is my main concern. Could the sensors for windows and doors use a passive energy collection device maybe augmented with a small solar cell?Also smart bulbs are stupid, we need smart bulb sockets to convert lamps, and they should be able to test for dead bulbs and control led intensity. Maybe even make the lamp able to be controlled by physical touch?
nedjinski - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
Already using Echo by voice command to control WeMo switches and Philips Hue bulbs.ganeshts - Friday, April 17, 2015 - link
I am yet to look into details of how Echo works - but, can you let me know whether it works if your Internet connection is down?Amazon Echo will definitely be a major force in the market - the issue I foresee with these types of automation hubs is that you are reliant on them to bring in support for any new home automation devices that come up. Compare that with running your own home automation server and using devices that have open APIs so that you can configure it on your own / get the help of a user-driven community.
Devices like Amazon Echo, Logitech Home Automation Hub etc. are definitely great for the average consumer - just like Dropcam is awesome for the average consumer. The problem is that these tend to create a situation where it will become acceptable for everything to be a pure cloud play.
nedjinski - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link
sorry for only being amongst the ranks of "the average consumer" - but I think that's who this article is talking about.as to internet interruptions - true - but how often is your internet down? assuming you don't live in podunk somewhere. the future only leads to more stability and greater coverage. so these devices may be ahead of the curve at the moment, but not for long.
if we're talking about security systems - it will be a long time before I feel comfortable about relying on electronic devices of any kind to secure my personal premises - I'll stick with hard locks and keys and side step the hackers who want access to my possessions. but I'm okay with the idea of controlling non secure systems like lighting, A/V, heating, etc. inside my four walls.
as to cloud play - that is, like it or not, where everything is going - just as in the olden days when cell phones and towers were few and far between and now blanket the landscape, so cloud interaction will be completely pervasive and we won't think twice about working in/through the cloud to control devices, store data, etc.
ganeshts - Monday, April 20, 2015 - link
The Internet being up is only one aspect. Security of your network (not physical home alone) is another important point - I am pretty sure people have important data in the computers inside their network. Do people want to give their home automation device vendor a way to get into the network? They may not have nefarious intentions, but it only takes a compromise of their cloud server to expose all their customers' networks.In addition, did you see what happened to Wink hub owners over the weekend? Wink got caught with their pants down and rendered their hubs inoperative for quite some time - It is as if they had a kill switch for the hardware product already in the hands of the consumers.
I don't wish to sound like a scaremonger here, but , as I mentioned, the purpose of this piece is to encourage consumers to choose the 'non-cloud' home automation device / hub over the 'cloud-based' one - just so that the consumers can remain in control.
BuddyRich - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
You make a good point ganesh... These are relatively simple devices that would have a longish shelf life, and assuming they do what you want don't really need to be upgraded.However if they only work so long as the cloud service is up, then they might have an artificially short shelf life if that service goes down or is changed. Look at the recent Youtube API change. While not a direct comparison, they've just rendered apps in old* tvs and bluray players (*as in apps on players older than 2013 - so not that old) inoperable. At least those players still play blurays but...
Thats a great way to get you to buy new hardware and subscribe to a service every couple of years, when what you initially had was fine and from a hardware point of view was still fine.
hammer256 - Saturday, April 18, 2015 - link
Great article. The emphasize on security, and control by the consumers is a voice that's not heard very frequently anymore.sorten - Sunday, April 19, 2015 - link
Home automation and IoT are hot topics for vendors, but I wonder if this market segment will flop in a similar fashion to 3D televisions. Outside of a few geek friends, I have yet to hear anyone talk about HA or IoT, though HA has been around for more than a decade.Gadgety - Sunday, April 19, 2015 - link
Great start, Ganesh T S. Looking forward to future pieces. I'd like to run a future home automation system from the wrist with Android Wear as the UCI. I've seen a few demos on Youtube, using the Tasker app in conjunction with other apps, such as Autovoice, and AutoHue for the Philips Hue lighting. This enables controlling the system with your voice. Would be thrilling if future articles include perspectives on this.sadsteve - Sunday, April 19, 2015 - link
Eh, have no desire to automate my home. Just more cost and wasted power for all these active devices. And there's no way I'd ever buy one of these devices if it's required to be connect to the internet/cloud.I played with the BSR stuff many years ago and ended up removing it since I never really used it.
Smart-Home - Thursday, February 16, 2017 - link
This is really helpful but read it too:http://homecontrolsolutions.co.uk/akshayaautomations - Saturday, June 30, 2018 - link
Home and industrial automation is “The Internet of Things"The way that all of our devices and appliances will be networked together to provide us with a seamless control over all aspects of our home and more. from Akshaya automation.http://www.akshayaautomations.com