Friday 7 May 2010

An Intelligent House

The lights are on, blinds are uplifted, coffee is freshly brewed and a pleasant melody from the radio wakes you up. You get up, drink coffee or tea and you start a new day. When you are out, the lights trip, forgotten machines switch off and the temperature drops. The alarm is activated and blinds are partially hidden. Wherever you are, you can check whether everything is fine at home and what is going on there. When you come back the self-adapted cooker is turning on with your dinner and the temperature is changing to the most comfortable. While getting in, you hear your favourite songs and TV is already playing. When you go to bed all unnecessary devices switch off and the house is keeping an eye on everything in order not to disturb your dreams.



Impossible? Until recently, it was impossible because we have seen such houses only on movies or read about them in books. However, today such houses appear in our real lives. Advanced technology, which is available today, let us make this dream come true. Intelligent houses are also appearing in our country. This technology is becoming more and more available and an integral part of our lives. The same situation was with mobiles phones or Tvs, at first these things were only available for army or governments but after some time also for ordinary people.


A short note about intelligent houses:


What is it? This question raised a vivid discussion because everyone answers differently on that question. To be precise, it is a link between a whole infrastructure, installations and devices at home. They are connected in such a way that they create a coherent system. Its purpose is to make your life easier and more comfortable. It also builds up the sense of safety and decreases exploitation costs.


Eventual possibilities of the system at an intelligent house:

  • controlling the alarm system
  • controlling appliances (washing machine, fridge)
  • controlling the lights
  • controlling audio equipment
  • controlling the central heating and air conditioning
  • detector of light, wind or rain
  • detector of opening and closing doors
  • domestic videophone set
  • intelligent doors


The possibility of controlling most of the devices is not only a convenience for lazy people but also a chance to arrange your activities to, for example, water the grass. The system is also supervising whether the cooker is not working or if the doors are not opened. It reminds you about closing the doors in order not to invite the thief. When it will be properly programmed it can stimulate the presence of householders at home, when actually they are 2000miles away from home, sunbathing on the beach. The system possesses the fire and movement detector, moreover it can inform alerting information services about a dangerous situation. In this way it protects our house while we are out. The system make our lives easier in many ordinary activities, even in those about which we sometimes forget or we do not pay attention to them such as decreasing temperature or turning off the lights.


Modern voice stimulation:


Intelligent houses are our future, in a few years they will become inseparable part of people's lives. We will depend on them and they will depend on us but for sure they will help us in our daily tasks more than we think. They will also give us more possibilities for development in such way that we will have more time to do other things probably more important for us.



Increase of selling intelligent systems through last few years:


Everyone, who considers a purchase of the intelligent installation is usually thinking about cost-effectiveness of such investment. Not to mention, the fact that such systems let us considerably decrease the usage of electric and thermal energy, as well as water. Think for a while, how much the comfort of your life, your family and your property, is worth. Do you have any more doubts?

9 comments:

  1. Personally i will start from upgrading lighting - to save a little money ;).
    I can add two other possibilities for your list:
    1. continuous health monitoring
    2. emotion recognition in voice and adaptation the appropriated light scene.
    Sometime ago I've heard that the most intelligent is the house of Bill Gates.

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  2. Well money you can save on having inteligent house comparing to cost of making in inteligent is rather neglible but if I would be a milionaire I would certainly buy such house or rather apartment :)

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  3. Everything looks beautiful... But what if your house tried to kill you because of system error or some kind of virus? I’m afraid everything's gonna be like in “Terminator” movie – Skynet etc. In the near future, robots are going to take control of Earth :D

    However, I’d like to have such house. I said house because, to me, saying “apartment or flat is better” is misunderstanding. I have lived in flat for couple of years. It was cow of a something. Each time I tried to watch movie on home theatre I heard “panie, wyłącz pan to” – of course these funny shouts came from my neighbors. In apartment house I hate the fact everyone can hear stupid noise from each other. But now it doesn't matter ;)

    The nitty-gritty of such house is not only smaller bills to pay but what is important for me – It is comfortable. I‘ve heard same thing about Bill’s house as Piotrek. It’s amazing how wood, stone and the most advanced technology can be merged into one piece. If you haven’t seen this house yet, go to http://cybernetnews.com/cybernotes-facts-and-photos-of-bill-gates-house/ and see ;)
    Part of the article concerning our topic: “One of the most interesting things you’d experience if you lived in this house is that you wear a pin containing a microchip which acts as your ID. When you walk into a room, lighting, sound, and temp controls are customized for you. Any high resolution display that you walk by will know that you’re there, and your favorite art is displayed. And if you’re getting a phone call, only the phone nearest to you will ring. This is all thanks to the pin with the microchip.”

    Why we should start saving money today? Now, we have the answer!

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  4. @s4504: Your thought about the virus inside intelligent home reminded me a "Demon seed" movie from 1977. There's a computer scientist in it, which creates a Proteus -- an organic supercomputer that becomes obsessed with its creator's wife. It locks this wife in home, kills anyone that tries to get in etc. But the weirdest thing about this movie is that there's a sex scene which involves Proteus and beforementioned wife. And if this isn't weird enough, baby is born thanks to this act of procreation. Really, really, really weird horror movie.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTBzwGhH2MY - trailer

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  5. It's all very nice, but if you want to live in the city center in an apartment rather than a house you have no need for watering grass, advanced light control, or reviving information on your tv that cooker is not working. It reminds me of multitouch interactive tables which are hi-end, very innovative, cool, but nobody use them.

    "Think for a while, how much the comfort of your life, your family and your property, is worth. Do you have any more doubts?"

    Thinking ... yes, I still have them.

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  6. Im sure this kind of technology is way to young and way to expensive to be in reach of normal people. I live in a flat and its not realy hard to stand up and turn the lights on or uplift the blinds. Its the kind of luxury good for people that dont know what to do with all their money. Even if I were rich I doubt id invest my money in this innovation. Id fear that this kind of comfort would make me much more lazy and leaving a home like that to go work in the morning would be a pain. Sometimes its good to do something your self, especially those easiest things ;P

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  7. I wonder how Steve Jobs lives :P

    "Not to mention, the fact that such systems let us considerably decrease the usage of electric and thermal energy, as well as water."

    But seriously, where are savings? Because I do not see any.

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  8. For sure it's the future of places that we're living in. Personally I would rather perceive it in terms of comfort level living upswing that a reasonable material savings. Not that the latter ones aren't true but they will be probably very small.

    What is best for us that is IT pros is a possibility of playing with such systems by implementing there our own apps to make some fun ;-)

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  9. I would love to have an intelligent house system. Light control is definately a saving-energy thing, especially for people who just forget (or don't care) about turning the light off every time leaving room. Detector of closing doors would be a great thing for me - always, before going to bed I must check if doors are closed :) Also morning fresh coffee or tea would be nice start of the day. Unfortunately it is quite expensive and I can't afford it... But like all of the technology products, it will become cheaper and cheaper and one day become a standard in every house.

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