Smart home automation today is becoming a ubiquitous technology – From opening one’s curtain in the morning to adjusting the lighting of the room according to one’s mood, smart homes are becoming an integral part of our daily lives. Giving us the ability to monitor what goes on in the house with our phone/ Ipad or Laptop.
Due to advancements in AI and IoT ecosystem, appliances and devices are able to mimic daily routines. And this is just the beginning. Smart home automation is not a vision or a fantasy, it is the new reality. In the next few years, the concept of an ideal smart home will transform the way humans interact with all the appliances and devices.
The devices equipped with sensors will comprehend if an ongoing activity in a room is normal or if there is any discomfort to the occupant. Smart devices once hailed as the domain of the uber rich, is now easily accessible to the majority population in the cities. Today customers seek Smart Homes solutions for their many advantages to users, from energy savings, security, and convenience to premium aesthetics. The homes are now not just automated but can intelligently predict consumer habits and create automation routines using AI.
Factors paving the way towards ‘Connected Living’
The world's tryst with technology has been transforming a billion lives through smart devices and appliances. Expenditure on smart home products is exponentially increasing with the growth of the urban middle class and the rise in disposable incomes. According to Zinnov’s ‘India – Emerging Hotbed of IoT Opportunities’ report, the demand is coupled with some of the key advancements which are contributing to the overall IoT market which includes affordable access to connectivity and smartphone penetration across the country. According to a Statista report, the Indian smart home market is expected to be around $6 billion by 2022, a two-fold increase from $3 billion estimated in 2020. Globally, this number is expected to reach $53.45 billion by 2022. It is imperative to note that India’s smart home market is poised to grow. The Government of India has welcomed this lucrative opportunity through large-scale initiatives such as the smart cities project with a budget outlay of USD 31 Billion between 2015 and 2022. The younger demographic and aspirational context, coupled with affordable prices are furthering the concept of smart homes in India.
Why automate?
The pandemic, in many ways, has changed everything that we do whether it’s the way we work or interact or even the way we go about our everyday lives. Moreover, with people staying indoors more than ever, the pursuit of convenience, safety, and comfort through integrated technology products has become imperative to consumers. Today, consumers prefer home appliances or devices that are smart, connected, energy efficient. Hence, they not only want to augment their lifestyle with smart products like smart sockets, switches, and Smart Gadgets but also want reduced total cost of ownership.
Many renowned brands are introducing wire-free solutions designed for all kinds of pre-existing homes which create avenues for the consumers enabling them to transform old appliances into smart ones with a meagre amount. Some top of the line wireless solutions are equipped with the capability of interfacing, Which allows for hybrid installations in building’s where a new structure being added can work with wired automation & the old structure can be automated using wireless solutions and yet be on the same platform. The wire free solutions are a boon for existing structures where automation can be easily adopted without any electrical or structural changes to the pre-existing structure.
Today in these unprecedented times, voice enabled technology in products have become a blessing in disguise for children and elders at home. The elderly generation is less prone to the workings of electronic devices, due to the availability of voice assistants, and can give commands or can add reminders for common tasks, thereby increasing enormous accessibility.
The willingness to adopt the connected home ecosystem is on the rise among consumers as they realise the benefits offered due to cost savings through energy efficiency, home monitoring capabilities from remote locations & increased comfort & convenience along with enhanced premium feel for their homes.
Smart home ecosystem is the future, which will anticipate one’s needs and offer consumers a different lifestyle that is more connected, convenient, and smarter & will have the capability of plugging into the smart cities of the future. Innovation is bound to increase with this ‘new normal’.