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Industry Opinion: Controlling Automation (3/1/2008)

By Yasmin Hashmi, HiddenWires

Expectations of home automation capabilities are changing, but nothing is more important than that remote, touchpanel or wall controller. It can make or break a system's reputation. The home automation market is therefore faced with a conundrum: how to provide ever more sophisticated operation, through a robust and friendly interface. Can these requirements be met by talk-to-all off-the-shelf products, or are proprietary systems the only solution for truly personalised control? Installers cannot possibly be expert programmers of all of these systems, so what trends should they be looking out for? We asked a number of leading lights how the demands of customers are changing with regard to their home automation systems, and how this is affecting the human interface. Here are their replies:

Pete Baker, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Remote Technologies Inc (RTI)

The consumer has had a very tantalising taste of technology, with exciting new devices and source material. Flat panel displays are becoming commonplace, along with expanding media libraries, and never before have consumers had more interest in weaving technology into their lifestyles and their homes. Additionally, as the housing market slows, many people are 'cocooning', that is, investing much more into their current homes. These trends have resulted in more technological enhancements, including media rooms being created and the installation of more home theatres.

For anyone to successfully incorporate technology, access must be convenient and intuitive, so the investment made in the human interface component is critical. This can be a powerful tool and, in many cases, can be the key to expanding the system from a basic distributed audio system into a powerful integrated home automation system. No other element of the system is more important - if you can't turn the system on, nothing else really matters!

Peter Schoon, technical support and product manager, BMB Electronics

The human interface is the most important part of a home automation system. It is the engine that drives the communication between the technology and the human being. The components that run a system in the background are less important to the customer than having an easy-to-navigate, simple-to-use graphic user interface.

Homes are becoming more complex, people's lives are becoming busier, and most of them just want to operate their system without having to refer to the owner's manual each time. People want their smart homes to work for them: to sense their arrival, deliver alerts, let them enjoy their multimedia systems, news and Internet, and allow them to modify their environment easily, without fuss. Information needs to be available quickly, and without too much confusing technical detail.

Delivering on this promise of ease of use should be the cornerstone of the whole home integration industry, where controllers that manage home systems, including automating disparate systems, work together flawlessly for one-touch control via engaging and informative interfaces that can be conveniently located throughout the home.

Keith A Kennedy, Director of Product Development, Niles Audio Corporation

As automation and control systems become more ubiquitous, end users are demanding that they integrate with the growing number of sub-systems now available in today's modern home. From lighting to entertainment, HVAC, irrigation and the like, more and more homeowners wish to have a unified way to command them. The challenge is putting it all together in a way that is intuitive and easy for them to operate, as well as hassle-free for the integrator to setup and configure. And that's the rub. There are so many different types of system made by a disparate array of manufacturers with just as many interface protocols and user interface requirements. To solve this, there are two options. Either the integrator must be an accomplished user interface designer and programmer; or the manufacturers need to come together and create more standards that will enable this to happen seamlessly to the integrator and end user. The latter is likely to be more conducive to successful mass acceptance.

Jacques Staelens, Export Manager, Niko Group

I strongly believe in integrated automation and design, and see the next step in automation being not only related to mechanics but also to services. What can an intelligent intercom system do more than just opening the door and talking to the visitor? Should this same device also not be used as intercom in an apartment block, and/or as an interactive terminal for ordering dry-cleaning or your groceries?

The trend in home automation is clearly one of integration, but while so-called intelligent homes currently have all the technology, you still see different designs and keypads for the security system, the lighting control, the HVAC system, and the A/V equipment, all lined up next to each other - one being in white plastic and square, the other in high-end polished stainless steel and rectangular. The home may be automated, but from an interior decoration point of view, this is a disaster. In order to come to an aesthetically pleasing solution, the companies active in this field must cooperate and create common standards to make this essential integration a reality.

L Y. Chiu, Director of Cytech Europe and Cytech Technology

The first wave of customers of home automation systems tend to be enamoured with the more gadgety PDA, PC, touchscreen and Internet user interfaces, as well as fancy light switches and remote controls which are able to control everything. These are the visible hardware which can be used to impress friends and neighbours.

Over time however, many have found that the less visible aspects of home automation provide the real and sustained benefits. Examples include; when the security system is set and the occupants leave home, lights are turned off and the heating/cooling turned down or off; area lighting turns on when motion is detected, and switches off after some time when motion stops; in vacation mode, lights and music sources turn on semi-randomly to simulate occupancy; programs which automatically switch appliances and lights according to users' needs and well-defined logic; sunset and sunrise programs which adjust for daylight saving; the ability to use any phone in the home to talk to visitors at the door.

A very important component of a home automation system is the security system. Sensors for the security system act as the eyes and ears of the home automation system, but this is missing in many high-end home automation systems where there is limited communication between the alarm and the other elements of the system. In other words, the intelligence of the home working with the sensors of the security system and the lighting and appliances, is what makes the automation system truly useful.

Janine Lewis, Sales and Marketing Director, BPT Security Systems (UK)

Economy, security and convenience are the new 'must haves' for home owners. For economy, the introduction of HIPs (Home Information Packs) in the UK, which looks at the 'greenness' of homes, is yet another incentive to show that a home automation system can result in energy savings. Security is always important, including simulated occupancy, so it is essential that the home automation system provide the tools to do this, including integrating with movement sensors outside. And all of this must be achievable with a high level of comfort, luxury and convenience.

Robin van Meeuwen, Managing Director, Crestron UK

Transition to the use of biometric applications with control and automation will become more important in the near future. Homeowners are looking for increasingly sophisticated solutions to their home automation control requirements and adding biometrics into the mix allows for a higher level of security and added customisation.

John Turner, Head of Multimedia Networking and IP Physical Security, COMPUTERLINKS

The 'networked home' is more of a reality now than ever before, and we are seeing changing demands from customers - not least due to the emergence of the 'mid market'. Simple interfaces using intuitive controllers such as the Media Center IR allow many home automation vendors to offer a level of control, previously restricted to high-end proprietary systems, at extremely affordable levels. I believe consumer demand for 'on demand' media services leading to more IT/IP-based home networking, plus the continued growth of structured wiring in new builds, paves the way for affordable home automation on a previously unseen scale.

Alistair Banks, Business Development Director, H2M8

As the home automation sector matures, we're seeing a much broader range of customers with a broader range of demands. It's no longer okay to tell a customer that they must have your brand of brushed stainless steel switches, with your brand of white-framed touchscreen. Some people want traditional switches and dimmers in their traditional-style properties; some crave gadgetry; some have disabilities and need devices made to suit. Of course, we also have customers who love modern sleek push-buttons with LED mimics, but who want to source their own back-plates, knobs, dials and sliders.

By allowing anyone to design their own web-based touch panel interface, and being 100% open, we know the customer can be design-lead, while being assured of enabling any desired functionality - so we keep the architect and installer happy too. 'Open' can mean so many things, but in this context it means electrical openness, and openness to any desired user interface.

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