I envision a home automation system which includes the sensors and the output
devices below all of which are assigned a network address and the controller
for which, such as an Almond router, can be interfaced by a program on a
computer or a tablet or a phone or a web page accessible from anywhere and
which can display conditions from all the input devices as well as activity
logs and can send either command line commands to all the output devices or
can run timed scripts to control the output devices depending on the
environment reported by the input devices.
This means scripts could output graphic and video playlists to screens and
audio playlists to speakers, take pictures and video, turn on and off and dim
lights and other electrical applicances, play movies to specified screens and
speakers in mono or stereo, change colors of lights, lock and unlock doors,
control curtains, blinds, and heating, send emails and text messages either
automatically or on demand, and even print out documents on a printer.
The addresses of these devices could be either on a local network or on the
internet anywhere in the world.
Ideally the controller would be on an Uninterruptible Power Supply and would
be able to switch on a backup power supply in case of electrical failure.
All electrical devices in this utopian future world would be designed to
interface with such a system. Besides the smart toaster and refrigerator in
the kitchen there might also be a screen on which messages to the family could
be displayed with a couple of buttons to mark the messages as read or to
delete them.
I could imagine the features of a universal protocol language with security
protocols for managing such devices. As far as I know there is no work at
present on such a universal protocol but that would seem to me to be essential
before this vision could become a practical reality.
How close are we to achieving this vision and what would others add to this
wish list?
Sensors - input devices
clock
motion detectors
temperature sensor
light sensor
moisture sensor
smoke and carbon monoxide detector
vibration sensor
shock sensor
sound sensor
electric power sensor
power monitoring switch
door & window sensor
tilt garage door sensor
key fob
output devices:
light bulbs & dimmers & lamp modules
color light module
wall light switch
thermostat
camera
siren
Speaker
door lock
Switchable electric plugs
duplex receptacle in wall
screen
printer
