What kind of sensors do you want the most?

[LGNilsson]

I thought I'd take the opportunity to throw out a question here.

What kind of sensors are you the most interested in getting and why?

You can simply vote in the poll above or give a more detailed answer below.

[Patrick Wilson]

I really just want someone to make a Zigbee/Z-Wave Coffee machine.  It ain't Home Automation if it can't make me a Pot of coffee. 

[Ozzro]

Hi
I like to have a divice that i can remote whit 1-10v signal. That is for My centralheating system.

[pete]

Here I have personally divided up the whole sensor thing some going back a few years ago starting with a simple weather station that included temperature, wind speed and direction.  I then got a bit carried away and built a "lighting strike sensor" using piezo kind of technology with a counter.  Again then went to seeing what I could do with a counter.  I went to installing water meters and connecting them to counters and then a rain tipping bucket using the counters. Thinking I did use an eye dropper and counted 1000 drops of water to calibrate it.  Then barometric sensors, temperature and humidity sensors, light and dark sensors, piezo motion sensors, geophone sensors and PIR and microwave sensors and optical beam sensor and moisture sensors. (here using both occupancy types and regular PIR types of interior motion detection).

I have been intrigued by power and energy usage sensors but have not utilized them.  I don't know if I can get used to watching these sensors clock like.  Sometimes for me though its better that I do not look (personal thing?)

HV (high voltage) and LV switches are a different thing here.  They are used extensively.  I like that my switches today talk to each other and utilize these methods of tranport to carry over switch to switch commands.  I like the fact that I can program a multitoggle or multipaddle switch to manage other switches virtually (in 3-4 way switch conversations with no wires between them).  My wife is better with these switches today than I am.  The switches also are little independant computers with their security, addressing and diagnostics which is really nice.  I check signals between switches and between switch to controller which is a nice feature.  The switches can be programmed to function independant of the controller simpled timing of events and mulitiple touch control.  IE: one touch auto dims lighting to say 40%, a double touch goes to 100% and said device / switch provides live status of what its doing. 

Recently here switched out my exterior low voltage 12VAC toroidal coil transformers to DIN 12VDC electric.  That said I was playing with individual automated appliance type switches for each of the (5) 1000 watt toroidal transformers.  I had occassional problems switching the loads on with the surge from the automated switch throwing the breakers.  I have over the last few years switched out the multiple LV outdoor lighting zones to LED lighting using much less power and easier to maintain still automating the illumination; now with one switch only.  The neighbor nearby took his LV LED lighting to storage batteries and solar panels which now has worked for some 3 years.

What is neat about this that you can write "automation" scripts reading the status of multiple environmental sensors and using these to talk to the HV or LV switches.  I did a follow me lighting thing for my wife a while ago.  The garage door thing is in a world by itself with multiple sensors integrated into the door and a bunch of if then stuff.  IE: the garage door left open tickles the HA box and it will utilize text to speech to remind me that I have left the garage door open or text me that I have left it open.

[etijburg]

Here are my ideal devices.

HVAC Thermostat
Door Lock
Alarm Panel integration with EnvisaLink 3 https://www.eyez-on.com/EZMAIN/envisalink2ds.php
Something like FilterWatch http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/333435704/filterwatch-low-cost-easy-to-use-air-filter-monito 
and SchmartDoor http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2049114646/schmart-door?ref=search

These are just a few idea I have right now.

[Takachsin]

I'd really like to get some kind of servo motor that I could control my blinds with.

[LGNilsson]

I'd really like to get some kind of servo motor that I could control my blinds with.

There are some in the market, but they're quite expensive and also quite large and heavy from what I've seen.

[Takachsin]

There are some in the market, but they're quite expensive and also quite large and heavy from what I've seen.

Yeah that's the biggest problem.  For right now I've just been looking at a little Arduino setup with a servo motor to slant them open / closed but eventually I hope to have it controllable through the Almond.

[pete]

Historically here I have purchased from all ellectronics dot com relating little electronic projects type stuff.  Servo motors and robotics type things.  You might want to see what they have available.

Over the years though have noticed as mentioned above the high priced window mfg stuff and the lower priced battery stuff with IR remotes.  Typically though in prewiring home endeavors a 14-16 guage pair of wires is utilized for just the motor power with two more wires utilize to control it.  Most likely using Z-Wave or Zigbee wireless you would still need to provide some mechanism or means to power the motor for the blinds.

[pete]

Not so much a sensor but an always LV powered device with some 12 addressable relays on it that could be controlled either using Zigbee or Z-Wave.

I have recently converted my landscaping lighting to LED's.  That said its some 10-12 zones of lighting with some maybe 100 plus LED lights on it.  Originally it was set up with 4 1000 watt toroidal transformers.  I did keep throwing the fust panel breakers with a variety of automation switches (Insteon, UPB and Z-Wave) and ended up digressing to old X-10 switches to keep from kicking on the fuse panel breakers.

Right now its connected to a few 12VDC regulated power supplies (DIN mounted).  I am looking to move it over to just 12VDC batteries charged by solar cells.  That said the entire system/ charging et al would be outside.  I would like to control each of the lighting zones remotely / wirelessly via some 12 relay addressable wireless controller.  That and now playing with color changing LED lamps with remote controls (interesting effects).

[Breakpoint]

I really just want someone to make a Zigbee/Z-Wave Coffee machine.  It ain't Home Automation if it can't make me a Pot of coffee.

The problem with that is that you need to somehow still add water and coffee grinds to the machine. Otherwise it has already been done I think.

[Breakpoint]

In addition to just smoke detectors I think carbon monoxide sensors would be useful.

[cokeman]

HVAC systems, like the Danfoss A2/A3 (or W2/W3, same unit)

[bwainscott]

Not so much a sensor, but what I'd really like is a garage door opener.

I know folks have cobbled them together from an outlet switch and a relay, and I suppose I'll do the same if I have to.  But isn't there a manufacturer out there that has a z-wave enabled garage door opener?  If properly integrated, it could know the current state (e.g. open 15%, fully closed, opening, etc).  And then I could open it (perhaps only partway) for half an hour to let the garage cool off at night, then close it automatically.

[pete]

There is a Wayne Dalton garage door conversion module here:

http://www.z-wave.com/frys/safety_security/

Here I went with multiple sensors (for two garage doors) and DIY'd my own closure stuff.  I did leave all of the saftey mechanisms in place (optic beam and so forth).  I also added an IP camera and use a motion sensor and RFID on the automobiles such that the house announces when they come and go plus status whether they are in or out of the vicinity.