Introduction:
The benefits and drawbacks of smart home automation should be considered as Now days smart homes contain technology that ensure them to connect with smart devices and give control to owner of the home over their surrounding and environment. Smart homes are energy saving, convenient and increasing standard of living. It has advantages like energy saving, easy access, convenient, personalized comfort, time saving, better lifestyle management along with some disadvantages like Setup cost, internet dependency, power failure problems, privacy risk, technical issues.
Every thing has two sides like pros and cons. Hence this article is specially based with smart vision on the powerful benefits and drawbacks of smart home automation. So, by checking benefits and drawbacks of smart home automation, homeowner should understand both things before installing the system, as it will help owner to take right decision.
1. Benefits:
1. Energy Saving
The most useful benefit is smart homes are energy saving. As most of dims the lights, they have timers which reduces consumption of energy. Also, they have specially designed sensors which helps to turn off lights when room is vacant and help to stopping wastage of energy. Also, there are so many apps which monitors daily consumed energy and suggest us ways to control energy consumption.
2.Easy to access
The smart homes making life easier. There is no need to buttons or remotes just need of one app. Our routine tasks are now even easier and faster. Which allocates us more free time. We have to just use it properly. The technology is making smart homes simple and more convenient for homeowners.
3. Personalized Comfort
This is the best option of smart devices which are used in smart home. We can make them flexible as per our preferences. Just an example, we can set timer to turn on and off lights in our home. Or we can set music lights as per our need. Adding morning songs which gives positive feelings and at night time night theme of lights which calm us. And so, many other options which we can make as per our comfort.
4.Digital Home Security
Now most important thing is home security. And we have various options like Biometric locks, HD CCTV cameras, Anti-theft system. Also, for the locks which requires fingerprints smartphones gives us access to secure scanners, keypads which allows user to move freely without the tension of keeping keys. As the technology is advanced and having biometric access which can given to specific individual for specific time only. If any incidence happens security systems give commands to lights for flashing also. Cameras can be connected to phones hence individual can check it any time.
5.Helping Seniors and People with Disabilities
Smart homes are flexible to senior citizen and special case people. Anyone can connect devices with phones and can command them over take control on them by voice. Some disabled person who can’t walk he can give command to devices through smartphones as per their need. Also, through automation if there is panic voice command it can easily provide help.
6.Better Lifestyle Management
Using smart homes increases standards of living by using technology that helps people to improve and organize their daily routine. Owners of the home can reduces their time and make life easy by using automated lights, temperature monitoring and voice controlled devices. Smart system reduces stress by making personalized, convenient and customized automated system. Which makes living environment more comfortable. Schedule gets better when their are reminders or alerts in morning and night routine. The whole system allows users to save time, relax and spend more time with family or use this time for his own. This system leads to create more organized and balanced life.
2.Drawbacks:
1.setup cost
The setup cost or Installation cost is high initially but it provides long term service. Also, Home automation industry is growing day by day hence it is bringing cost effective products in the market which will be more affordable to the user. Some companies giving free maintenance or their are some devices which user can purchase and later upgrade them as per his budget.
2.Reliance on the Internet
The all devices which are connected to the smart phones in smart homes which are controlled by voice requires strong network connections such as Alexa, Google home and many others. For easy and smooth running of device requires internet. There may be some problems in running smart devices if connection is poor. The 4G/5G internet or good Wi-Fi service requires to easy running of smart devices. This is major drawback of smart home. But now days everyone is using internet hence this problem can be solved.
3.Privacy Risks
Even if you are using smart home and smart devices it is most important to follow the rules while using the. Even internet is secure but it increases risk of data stolen if strong password is not kept. So, ignoring this point increases risk of data safety hence it is important to keep strong password to wi-fi and private connection. The next step is to install smart devices with the help of professional people who are certified don’t handover to anyone. This steps looks simple but you have follow them to secure your privacy and your data.
4.Confusing Interfaces
Although smart homes or smart devices are easy or making life easier and flexible it is important to install them properly. For the people who are non technical it may be big task to them for using smart devices. If system have too many steps, more buttons or complicated and unreliable it becomes hard to use rather than making it easier. So, before installing the system every professionals goal should be to keep it more easy to use and more professional.
5.Regular Maintenance
As smart home includes the system hence its regular maintenance is required means its updating, checking of software, monitoring them to check whether it is working properly or not. Securing the data and prevention of the technical problems which may arise.
6.Over automation
Smart home contains different types of automated system. But when there is use of more smart features it increases risk of making complications rather than making easier life of homeowner. Also user may feel they have less control in their own home when it is auto controlled by the system. Some unusual things may happen like lights may get turn off when someone is in home. Or wrong temperature may be monitored or detected. Too many reminders and alerts may create irritation to users. It may be annoying to the people who are not friendly with the automated technology. So, balance is the key to make life happy, easy, comfortable with the smart home and automated system.
Final Thoughts
So, Looking at the pros and cons using smart home is the best option. More than 80% people using smart homes. The technology is growing hence in future automation industries will grow further and will bring more products which will cost effective but more essential in day to day life. The people with disability and older gives positive feedback regarding smart home as it is independence, energy and time saving making their life easy.
The people who are busy in household smart home provide remote access which saves their time and provide extra time to do other activities. So, taking pros and cons into mind overall experience of people shows that automated system is best when it is installed thoughtfully. When technology installed safely and kept simple it is making life of people easy and better.
Read More: Event-Driven Home Automation Architecture: The Smart and Complete Guide.