Articles and whitepapers

Automation for Assistive Living, Lifetime Homes and Sustainable Homes (4/1/2010)

By Lu Yung Chiu, Cytech

The potential for the spread of home automation within the housing market needs to be conveyed to the house builder and house buyer, landlord and tenant as so much more than just surround sound and multiroom audio and video. As the new building and refurbishment sectors are increasingly governed in the UK as well as many other countries, by legislation, codes of practice and other recommendations, there is a growing role to be played by the home automation system integrator in helping put them into effect.

Three recent initiatives now dominate the way the UK housing market develops and builds new homes and refurbishes existing properties. These are in addition to the raft of building regulations to which they need to conform.

Rules, regulations and recommendations

The Lifetime Homes Standard is, at present, more of range of objectives than a directive. The key message is that homes must be built to suit occupants of all ages and all sorts of mental and physical capabilities. The standard is set out in 16 key points, none of which specifically relates to home automation, but it should be recognised that home automation could make a major contribution.

The Foundation For Assistive Technology states, "Assistive Technology is any product or service designed to enable independence for disabled and older people". However, Lifetime Homes and Assistive Living are linked closely together as more of the less able members of the community remain at home, and as the number of older people continues to expand.

The Code for Sustainable Homes is an agreed UK Government standard. Many of the requirements of the Code can be achieved more quickly and effectively by applying smart home technology to control features such as energy consumption for lighting, heating and home appliances and for home security. These areas offer custom installers/system integrators opportunities to apply their skills and demonstrate to architects, specifiers, developers, local authorities, housing associations what can be achieved through the use of smart home technology.

In addition, a recent publication from the BRE (Building Research Establishment) - Smart Home Systems and the Code for Sustainable Homes - explains how smart home technologies can deliver significant benefits to help meet the performance levels set out in the Code for Sustainable Homes. The BRE guide details a range of case studies in the UK and overseas where home automation has been applied to achieve the recommendations of the Code.

How home automation can help

Some aspects of home automation that contribute towards achieving the goals of these initiatives include:

* Interactive Voice Menu: this would allow a system to be controlled from any remote or home telephone. The real time status of the lights and appliances could be announced so you could check before switching anything on or off.

* Reminder messages and voice announcements triggered by events: the system could play back recorded reminder messages on talking keypads or the telephone to remind the user to take medicine, for example, as a wake-up call, or to warn if any motion is detected in the home.

Example of a talking keypad.

* Dial out to alert carers: carers or family members could receive a call if there is no activity in the home for a longer than usual period of time. The carer could talk to the person in the house via any of the keypads. An emergency button on the keypad could force a dial out to the carer or family member.

* Conditional logic programming: a system such as the Cytech Comfort has extensive logic programming capabilities which allow conditions to be tested to determine the actions to be taken; for example, if after dark the doorbell is pressed, switch on outside lights and play an announcement or greeting message on the door station, and announce on the keypad that a visitor is at the door.

* Intercom: talking keypads can communicate with other keypads around the home and with the door station.

* Home security: door stations can include those with camera so that anyone at home can speak with the visitor and see them before opening the door. The door can be opened via any phone or keypad in the house. If no-one is home the call can be diverted to a mobile phone.

Example of a keypad that allows monitoring via CCTV.

* Heating, lighting, appliances, curtains, and blinds: these can all be monitored and controlled to aid energy-saving, home security and convenience. Greater home energy efficiency can be achieved with daylight controls, occupancy sensors and more accurate control of the heating system.

Conclusion

Home automation systems are an efficient and cost-effective tool to help achieve the goals of the codes for Assistive Living, Lifetime Homes and Sustainable Homes by integrating numerous subsystems in the home. As regulations and recommendations become more entrenched, the opportunities for systems integrators become greater, with smart home technology managing thermal comfort, communications, entertainment, safety, security, lighting, health and well-being for a growing number of people.

L Y Chiu is the Director Cytech Europe Ltd, manufacturer of the Comfort Intelligent Home System.

www.cytech-europe.co.uk