Author: Kansish Gadpale
Analyst,
Infrastructure Group
To
understand smart housing let us look at the basic definitions of the term ‘house’
& ‘smart’
A house is a building designed to
be used as a place of residence, or of human occupation for any purpose: as, a
dwelling house; a banking house; a house of worship; a public house. And the
definition of smart is sharp; quick, vigorous; efficient; severe, brisk;
lively; witty, elaborately nice; elegant; fine; showy, active; intelligent;
clever, careful; punctual, having strong qualities; strong.. etc
While
in modern context we often use smart to denote that which can provide
information right when you need it and can present them in a more useful way as
compared to other. Why? you can get the answer by observing around you that
peoples day to day activities are getting more effective, qualitative, as well
as dependent on the use of ICT i.e. information and communication technology.
When
we apply these modern principles using ICT in a cluster of houses we can call
it a smart housing. Smart houses
have highly advanced, automated systems to
control and monitor any function of a house such as lighting, temperature
control, multi-media, security, window and door operations, air quality, or any
other task of necessity or comfort performed by a home's resident. Coded
signals are sent through the home's wiring (or sent wireless) to switches and
outlets that are programmed to operate appliances and electronic devices in
every part of the house. Home automation can be especially useful for the
elderly, people with physical or cognitive impairments, and disabled persons
who wish to live independently.
To
give you an example smart house is already a toy of super-wealthy, like Bill
and Melinda Gates' home in Washington State called Xanadu 2.0. The Gates' house
is so high-tech that it allows visitors to choose the mood music for each room
they visit.
So,
a truly smart house wouldn’t have different kinds of remote controls for
performing every kind of action and monitors that show the specific information
for specific device. But a smart housing should be something which we can have control
over and can keep an eye on even when we are not in home. It is something that
automatically adapts to our daily routines and can interact with us verbally in
any corner of the house and is able to assimilate and convey its own update to
occupants according to the priority in very understandable way. That means all
the services, sensors, appliances, from security to entertainment systems are
managed and controlled via one CPU which is accessible only to the occupants and
through a highly encrypted secure connections.
The
future of smart housing will bring more fictional characteristics that we watch
in movies such as; housing clusters recycling and safely disposing the wastes. Washing
and drying of clothes, and suggesting which clothes to wear on according to personal
choice in relation to weather outside. Self washing and cleaning of house.
Kitchens with robotic arms than can replicate unique dishes by learning the
data gathered from internet and according to the taste preferences of family
members. Creating artificial sunlight and artificial realities using
holographic projectors etc.