Home smart home

A choice of sensors and control systems to help you monitor your residence.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates's vision for the home of the future was a digitally connected building equipped with centrally controlled electronic entertainment, one that could receive instructions via mobile phone to start a washing machine or shut off a light and one that would alert the homeowner to an intrusion or malfunction.

In all likelihood, we might not have a spare $135 million to build ourselves a smart home as Gates did, but the vision is a reality for most of the upper class in metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

Security is a big part of any home automation system's consumer appeal. From a simple glass-break sensor to a state-of-the-art security system with all the bells and whistles, including phone dialers, motion sensors and monitoring service, you will be alerted to any break-ins instantly and get the peace of mind you need.

This will take a nominal Rs 5,000-10,000 (depending on the number of sensors installed and feature complexity) from your pocket. And look at the bright side, such assisted living systems can automate simple tasks for those living with limited mobility. You can have the local authorities or loved ones automatically alerted in case an elderly family member falls down stairs or is not able to perform typical daily tasks, or alert home security while owners are on vacation.

The basic idea of home automation is to employ sensors and control systems to monitor a dwelling, and accordingly adjust the various mechanisms that provide heat, ventilation, lighting, and other services, explains Sanjeev Gupta, regional sales director (Asia Pacific), LinkSys.

"An electronic controller (that can be between Rs 7,000-10,000) of an automated home can determine when the dwellers have gone to bed and turn off the lights and lower the thermostat, monitor burglar and fire alarms, anticipate hot water usage pattern and thereby optimise the operation of the water heater. But the bulk of Indian home buyers are yet to come to terms with the thought of investing in home automation," Gupta rues.

The world over, fingerprint readers that activate doorway locks (worth around Rs 10,000) are being lapped up by high-tech home lovers, but the Indian junta is still haggling about wireless networks and routers for their homes.

Biometric solutions, feels Gupta, can drive the number of high-tech buildings and homes in India. So, will we soon have homeowners scanning the fingerprints of family members and housekeepers? Maybe. But if the system does not recognise your scan then be prepared to be shut out of your own home.

Frankly, turning your home smart does not have to cost you an arm and a leg. "Add a 10-12 per cent over the actual cost of the house with random maintenance charges built in," says Susil Dungarwal, a retail and realty analyst. A smart home begins with wireless router that can cost between Rs 4,000-6,000 (depending on the range needed), thereby connecting all the devices that are Wi-Fi enabled "" for instance, notebooks, computers, gaming console and music system.

In case, you need to get your television, printers, telephones, or specific gadgets on a Wi-Fi network, then it would call for a wireless adapter costing Rs 2,000-5,000. If you would like your house on a wireless IP camera, so that you can keep an eye on the housekeepers or your children from your laptop remotely, then be ready to fork out Rs 9,000-20,000.

But companies selling smart home infrastructure, like LinkSys & SmartLabs, say they face an uphill battle in convincing local developers that the added cost to construction can result in added market value to the property, as well as savings to long-term operating costs and satisfaction for end users.

"The real challenge is in convincing investors the true value of the technology within a housing infrastructure," says Dungarwal. "It is around 2 per cent of the total home buyers, expected to touch 7 per cent in a couple of years time, who have realised the potential that technology can unlock and they hail from metros."

Smart homes, till date, have been a male fancy, motivated by geekdom or conspicuous consumption. But if smart homes are going to catch on among working moms, they will have to be more than just intelligent, they will also need to make home sweet home just a little bit sweeter.

THE BENEFITS OF BEING AUTOMATED

Check up on the babysitter while at work, or your home while on vacation, through an Internet-connected video camera. Approx hit: Rs 15,000

Eliminate the need to walk around the house turning off lights before exiting the home or going to sleep, turn off all house lights with the touch of a single button. Approx hit: Rs 7,000-10,000

From setting up an alarm to having the lights gradually increase intensity or ensuring the coffee is brewing and the television switches on to the favourite news channel. Approx hit: Rs 5,000

Programme the security system to alert you through e-mail or phone when the system detects activity in the home while you are away. Approx hit Rs 5,000

Check who is at the front door without compromising on the comfort through a video display showing the visitor at the front door. Approx hit: Rs 3,000-5,000

Control all scheduled tasks, such as watering the lawn and outdoor lighting, with a simple computer programme. Approx hit: Rs 4,000 onwards