Home Automation Systems and Working Parents

There has been a constant evolution in man’s lifestyle, the curiosity to know more, and the aspiration for a shift in standards of living, that integrates humans with a world of technology and development. We can see how technology over the years has slowly made its way into the spaces we inhabit. The flexibility of which, can lend a helping hand to many working parents.  

The automation market of today is aiming at the absolute touch-free functioning of day-to-day activities. This revolution brought a myriad of new trends into the construction realm, which includes automated domestic help, temperatures control, facial and voice recognition, etc. Besides the fact automation that serves one’s routine, there is a rising need for integration of workspace at home. Fabricating intact communication at home, the new trends offer at-home conferences, keypad touch panels and contact of various devices, automated communication systems for a company, etc. 

From the smart clock that is automatically adjusted to one’s daily schedule to the sustainable features, these systems offer additional security and monitoring. Following are the most commonly used options available in the market : 

1. Smart Home basics

• Let’s start with the basics, with smart tv, lighting controls, and audio and video systems that can be turned on and off as per one’s need, and subsequently, a schedule can be formed for yourself and your child. Video doorbells not only sense, and alert you when someone is at the front door, but can also show you video footage of who is there and use intercom technology to talk to your visitor. Water Heaters can turn on and off based upon the time clock. Little kids can walk into the bathroom and not worry about how to turn the light switch on when the sensors turn them on automatically.
  
  

2. Automated Locks

• When your kids return home from school or if they lock themselves out of the house while you're at work, home automation systems give you the ability to unlock the door remotely. Better more, with their specific individual codes, they may gain access right away, and you'll get a notification on your phone as soon as they do. 

3. Smart Shades

• With motorized shading solutions, one can pull up or pull down shades for privacy or can be set to a schedule so that they can greet you with sunlight at the same time each morning. Smart privacy windows can be installed or a film you place over your windows. This changes from a normal window to an opaque window with zero visibility, from a remote or from your smart device. Many privacy windows also protect from harmful UV rays and work as insulators to maintain a comfortable temperature.

  

4. Saving Energy

• Kids that are too young to understand the importance of saving energy may leave fans, lights, and appliances on for longer than required. Using a home automation system makes it easy for you to handle all these controls with just a press of a button, no matter how far away you are from home. The efficiency of this system not only saves time but also helps in conserving energy. 

5. Smart Kitchens

• We often struggle with the efficiency of work that happens in our kitchens. Imagine if all the devices we use in the kitchen can be controlled and monitored from anywhere. From notifying you when the refrigerator door is left open to giving you timely updates on the load of the dishwasher or even if the stove or faucet has been left on. 

6. Smart Nurseries 

• Baby monitors incorporated with a video camera have made the life of parents stress-free. Multiple sensors when triggered send alerts to your smart device and can instantly be checked on. Whether it is a smart bed stand that acts as a baby station, and smart hub, or a changing mat that measures your baby’s weight to make sure they are properly fed, these products are changing the nursery game. A very common feature that a lot of parents use is having the maid watch over the kids at home, but with cameras that make it easy to check up and communicate with kids and the maid on your smartphone. 

7. Pet care

• Taking care of your fur-babies has been made easier than ever with smart pet care. From smart pet doors that open and close on command to the smart feeders that dispense food and water on schedule with a click on your phones. 

Further, working parents with differently-abled children can make use of home automation systems to monitor and keep track of their well-being. From a medical alert emergency button that can alert you or emergency service for immediate care, to activity-tracking that helps you schedule their food and medication on time. 

In a world where the line between work and home is blurred, it becomes quite tedious to have an organized home set-up with children around. Switching to smart homes or home automation systems can be efficient and less stressful especially for working parents. With rapid technological changes, it is quite clear that many contemporary and modish products will be introduced in the future, to enhance the scenario of what a futuristic home would look like. If you think you are ready to take a look at some Smart Home products, Anusha Technovision ( ATPL) has a lot to offer in the way of affordable and reliable Home Automation.

- The piece is written by Alok Hada, Director, Anusha Technovision Pvt. Ltd.

 

Future of Lighting

The evolving consumer tastes are currently shaping the future of lighting, and a large amount of that is owed to the pandemic. The need to spend more time at home to work due to quarantine measures means your home must now incorporate areas of work, study, and personal activity. This will lead to a rise in the number of people adapting their home lighting systems - specifically through smart lights - to adapt to the new paradigm. 

The vast array of options smart lights provide in personal customizability is expensive. An increase in work-from-home models will be an influencing factor in their adoption, as many companies are already incorporating it to continue even after the pandemic. Studies have shown a connection between lighting types and the ability to focus, which people anecdotally associate with. In that regard office space now focuses on lighting that helps improve productivity and hence the new and increasingly popular concept of “Human Centric Lighting”. Since our body clock is governed by the secretion of hormones, which in turn takes its cue from lighting. This is why we sleep at a certain time, (night) and we are alert at other times (mornings). So the effort today is to keep the body clock in sync with nature's timings of sunrise and sunsets. Since we spend more time indoors – the indoor lighting now with the help of technology follows the color temperature of sunlight and helps maintain the body rhythm. 

Additionally, smart light systems can easily be coded and controlled from home management devices like Google Nest and Amazon Alexa devices, making them substantially easier to use. The trend towards voice commands and centralized home control has been a trendy feature in recent years and is sure to propel smart lighting to even greater popularity. 

- The piece is written by Alok Hada, Director, Anusha Technovision Pvt. Ltd.

Voice commands (Alexa and Google Home) for Home automation

We at Anusha Technovision (ATPL) are updated with the latest technologies to provide the customers with the best and latest solutions. Currently, home automation based on voice control is what is trending these days and within this context- we introduce you to Alexa and Google Home (GH). 

Yes, Alexa from Amazon and GH from Google, help to provide the home owner, the next level of automation by providing voice controls to an automated home. Voice Control is meaningful for smart-home users, because it lets one control all the connected devices, without having to take out the phone and launch an app. 
Alexa can respond to voice commands from almost anywhere within hearing distances; and the good thing is that unlike like the smart phone, there’s no activation button to press. Simply say the right word (either “Alexa,” “Hey Google”) followed by what you want to happen, and the task will be done—as long as it been set up properly and you are using the correct command. It lets you speak your choice of words and see them being fulfilled such as dimming your lights or playing music tracks and much more.

So who can do all this setup for you?

It's us!  AnushaTechnovision(ATPL) can configure your Alexa/GH with an existing home automation system. And once done, you can call for different lighting moods, play a specific channel on your TV, control your shades, turn on/off your HVAC; in simple words, control each and everything under the system with just a mere voice command, making life simpler than ever—all while your phone stays in the pocket.

We can configure each and every command as per your choice of specific words. Once you get used to the command/quirks, using ALEXA/GH feels much more natural and responsive as compared to a phone-based voice assistant like Apple’s Siri. As a result, you are likely to find yourself using your phone less frequently when you’re at home.  If you thought the transition from flipping light switches to pressing smartphone buttons was game-changing, then having Voice commands control your tasks will be even more satisfying in a true-geek way. And after usage over a couple of months, if you need any tweaks, we even provide a complimentary visit for a final setup of all your ALEXA/GH commands. 

Next step in voice commands?

     Recognizing the voice command of the person and acting accordingly. Some baby steps have been made by Google and Amazon so that a Home owner may not want his hired help to be able to do the same thing that his own voice does.Completing multiple actions with one voice command such as “dim  lights, play music and also turn the bath on”,  at the same time, is not possible, at least yet.

However, we firmly believe that Alexa/GH isn’t a comprehensive smart-home system. It won’t replace a well-programmed graphic user interface on your IPad or iPhone, and at least as of now, it won’t allow for complex integrations of multiple devices (“turn the lights green when rock music plays in the kitchen” is not a valid command), and it won’t always be the most practical means of interacting with your other devices. Rather, we should think of it as an interface for your smart home, that provides additional means of control and functionality that an app on your phone can’t. This makes it an easier product to rely upon!

-Alok Hada, Director, Anusha Technovision Pvt. Ltd

Switches

All modern comforts today in a home, that can be related to technology - from lighting, fans, A/c, entertainment to kitchen appliances, have one thing common - the little button that transforms the sleeping tech gadget into a source of enjoyment, comfort or simply getting the work done. Every one of these gadgets has to be turned ON, and therein lies this seemingly common, but very important aspect – A Switch.

Lighting today does not simply have to be on/off, it can be modified to get the perfect level with the help of dimmers. Matching with the technology of the audio systems, the smart switches also give us complete control, to set the light according to mood. 



One of the major reasons of switches giving way to automation keypad is the user friendliness- a keypad is annotated properly, and each button is engraved and designed to remove any confusion about its functionality.

As design and technology are linked closely, the design of the switches has also undergone evolution. The switch stands out on a plain wall, and therefore designers tried to conceal them. Switches have become flatter, crisper, smarter, better-looking and now offer a variety of colors and materials to choose from.

A technology taking the center stage these days is the Palladium keypad by Lutron, a sleek 3x3 inch keypad, with 8 buttons that replaces a complete bank of switches. It is centrally linked to the automation system; as a result, lighting scenes, music or motorizedcurtains shades- everything can be controlled by just one keypad. Each button individually is backlit and custom engraved making it easy for the user to read, under all lighting conditions.

In the near future, I foresee that standalone switches will become obsolete. As home automation systems advance, gadgets will increasingly work as part of a larger ecosystem to provide a one-stop solution for all user needs.

- Alok Hada, Director, Anusha Technovision Pvt. Ltd

Energy Efficient Lighting

Lighting constitutes about 35% of the energy consumption in commercial buildings, making it the highest energy consuming component, according to data obtained from the US government. In India, lighting is the second highest component of energy consumption in buildings, only next to HVAC systems, and estimated to be at least 20-25%.

From the data, we can identify that lighting is a crucial factor in efficient building designs and automation systems. There is an effort to make individual lighting fixtures as efficient as possible, but the industry must acknowledge the fundamental role of Lighting Controls in furthering the objective.

Lighting Management systems can cater to three major sectors – Residential, Hospitality and Corporate/Commercial. In residences, preset lighting control systems can cater to aspects of ambience and convenience. Attractive wall-mounted, custom-engraved, and backlit lighting keypads add aesthetics, with optional control via wireless keypads or smart phones providing easy access and flexibility of use.




In the Hospitality sector, the major focus is on achieving the correct ambience with lighting controls.Hotels such as the ‘ITC Group’ who are  energy conscious, also stress on reducing energy consumption through controls. Here again, the preset Lighting control systems play a role. In commercial or corporate settings, the main driver for automation is the ability to reduce power consumption through the usage of sensors such as occupancy sensors and day light sensors. This is all then monitored and measured through a Lighting Management System (LMS), called Quantum System from Lutron. In the last 3-4 years, this sector has experienced tremendous growth.

Where energy efficient lighting fixtures are low hanging fruits, allowing reduction in usage, without compromising on the quality of ambience or convenience; Lighting Controls form the network, the tree itself, enhancing flexibility to change the transfer of resource depending on real-time requirements.

By incorporating state of the art Lighting Management systems, buildings can achieve energy savings targets and desired management levels with real time monitoring and control. Integrating hardware and software, and to service and combine dimming modules, occupancy sensors, motorized shades, sun trajectory sensors, daylight sensors and time clock controls; supported and optimized by data that is collected from sensors, time clocks and scientific sources; spaces can be made more resilient.

- Alok Hada, Director, Anusha Technovision Pvt. Ltd

Occupany & Vacancy Sensors

Occupancy & vacancy sensors are small devices designed to detect the presence of a person in a room and accordingly adjust the physical space to the optimal state. These sensors control light, shade and temperature depending on the presence of people, time of day and general weather conditions. Not only is this unique technological invention trendy and appealing due to the lack of effort required to operate the various installments in a room but it is also an ecologically friendly and cost efficient investment.

Now let's see how these sensors have a positive impact of your finances and the environment. From a young age we are told to turn off lights and fans when we leave the room, but how many of us actually remember to do this? Now, it might seems like this is not a large enough concern for many but when we think about centrally air-conditioned spaces where we spend most of our time such as offices, malls, restaurants do you really think about asking someone to turn the temperature of the AC down or turn of the lights when you leave the bathroom? These costs that where always considered fixed are what occupancy and vacancy sensors attempt to reduce, not to mention the positive environmental impact! The occupancy and vacancy sensor can even play a impactful role in residential situations. The light sensors can prove to be crucial in housed with small children to ensure safety, during the evenings and at night, as well as responsible use of electricity. Let's admit it. Children never turn off the light! 

While Occupancy sensors have been around for some time, what has changed is the way they operate and the technology they adopt. For e.g the earlier motion sensors worked on  passive IR Technology where in a major motion was required between the various IR rays emitted by the sensor- for the sensor to detect presence. While these worked fine with places such as hallways and pantry areas, they failed where the motion was very small- such as when a person occupies the office or uses the bathroom. The latest technology sensors are able to detect even minor motion and hence will generally not turn the lights off when you are sitting still and working on your lap top (say). In fact this ability to detect even minor motion could be the main reason for pricing differences, in addition to the sensor coverage areas and the technology they use to function.

Anusha Technovision offers the Radio Power occupancy Wireless sensor through its partnership with Lutron which is equipped with the best technology within the occupancy and vacancy sensor market at the moment complete with daylight sensing ability – for homes as well as for commercial office spaces. These sensors can be stand alone or part of a larger Lighting control system. When they are part of the lighting control system they can be made intelligent  for e.g a home owner could decide that his bathroom lights should turn on every time he walks into the bath room but it should happen only at night time , and in day time he has to manually turn lights on. The sensor of course turns lights off when the bathroom is unoccupied.  “Occupancy sensors can be called the foot soldiers in the fight to conserve energy.” As per Alok Hada Director ATPL.

Voice Controlled System - Amazon Alexa (Part 2)

Contd...

So who can do all this setup for you?

It's us!  Anusha Technovison (ATPL) can configure your ALEXA with an existing home automation system. And once done, you can call for different lighting moods, play a specific channel on your TV, control your shades, turn on/off your HVAC; in simple words, control each and every thing under the system with just a mere voice command, making life simpler than ever.

We can configure each and every command as per your choice of specific words. Once you get used to the command/quirks, using ALEXA feels much more natural and responsive than speaking to a phone-based voice assistant like Apple’s Siri. As a result, you are likely to find yourself using your phone less frequently when you’re at home.  If you thought the transition from flipping light switches to pressing smartphone buttons was game-changing, then letting ALEXA control your things will be even more satisfying in a true-geek way. And after a use of one-two months, if you need any tweaks, we provide a complimentary visit for a final setup of all your ALEXA commands. Not only do we provide training to control your home but we will also teach you, how using the sound of your voice, you can use ALEXA to search the Web, create to-do shopping lists, shop online, get instant weather reports, and control popular smart-homeproducts—all while your phone stays in your pocket.

However, we firmly believe that ALEXA isn’t a comprehensive smart-home system. It won’t replace a well-programmed graphic user interface on your Ipad or iPhone, it won’t allow for complex integrations of multiple devices (“turn the lights green when rock music plays in the kitchen” is not a valid command), and it won’t always be the most practical means of interacting with your other devices. Rather, we should think of it as an interface for your smart home, that provides additional means of control and functionality that an app on your phone can’t. Which makes it an easier product to rely upon!

Voice Controlled System - Amazon Alexa (Part 1)

                                                                                               Amazon Alexa

       

We at Anusha Technovision (ATPL) always keep educating ourselves to provide our customers with the best and latest solutions. If you talk about what is the latest in the field of automation, we will introduce you to ALEXA. 

Yes, ALEXA is Amazon’s voice control system which brings the home owner, the next level of automation by providing voice control to an automated home. Alexa is meaningful for smart-home users, because it lets you control all the connected devices without having to take out your phone and launch an app. ALEXA can respond to voice commands from almost anywhere within hearing distances. And the good thing is that unlike like smart phone, there’s no activation button to press. Simply say the right word (either “Alexa,” “Echo,” “Amazon” ) followed by what you want to happen, and the task will be done—as long as it been set up properly and you are using the correct command. It lets you speak your choice of words and see them being fulfilled such as dimming your lights or playing music tracks and much more.

Smart Lighting Control System

Smart Lighting Control System is an intelligent lighting control Solution. It is an important aspect of our daily life. Light control would allow the ability to regulate the level and quality of light in each space for specific tasks or situations. Controlling light properly not only enhances the experience, it helps to save energy by using light when and where it is needed most.

Smart Lighting control systems features:

a)     Time Clock facility–The house owner could schedule the turning ON/Off the Lights/curtains based on normal/Astronomical time clock.

b)     Occupancy/Vacancy-Many building spaces remaining unoccupied between 40% and 70% of the day, lights left on are a real energy drain. occupancy/vacancy sensors automate the switching and dimming of those lights, saving energy and money.

c)      Daylight availability Amount of daylight that enters a space is an important aspect of  light control. Electric lighting energy use can be adjusted by automatically dimming  and/or switching     electric lights in response to the level of available daylight.

    d)   Mood Lighting Facility – This gives the power to enhance the beauty of any area with the variety of customized lighting scenes (e.g. TV, Relax, Meeting etc.).

    e)    Alarm conditions-Alarm conditions typically include inputs from other building systems such as the fire alarm or HVAC system, which may trigger an emergency 'all lights on' or ' all lights flashing' command for example.

Benefits of Smart Lighting ControlSystem:

     -  The major advantage of a lighting control system over  conventional  manual switching is the ability to control individual lights or groups of  lights of the house from any location with a single user interface   (Keypad,  i-pad/i-phone etc.) device.

     -   Now, we can also control the lighting system with Voice Command, e.g.-   Alexa

     -   Each button on Wired or wireless keypad is custom engraved with    button functionality to make it user friendly.

     -   A major benefit of lighting control systems is reduced energy consumption and reduced electricity bill too.
      - A room may have multiple scenes pre-set, each one created for different activities in the room

       - A major benefit of lighting control systems is reduced energy consumption

       - Longer lamp life is also gained when dimming and switching off lights when not in use

       -  Wireless lighting control systems provide additional benefits including reduced installation costs and increased flexibility over where switches and sensors may be placed.

         

        It adds the comfort, enhance the beauty of interior and conserve the energy!

Smart Bathroom (Part 2)

What's in Store?

With a lot of technological advancements, there are a few products which have made a mark in this field and have done extremely well.

1. HomeWorks system provides convenient, intelligent and sophisticated control of your home's lighting and shades, and can be integrated with security and audiovisual systems. In addition to enhancing your lifestyle, HomeWorks Architectural and Designer style controls can also enhance your décor and complement your home. Centralized dimming panels can be used to provide control of multiple zones of light in a room or throughout your home from a single keypad.

2. Agath mirror TVs are the latest generation flat, waterproof television sets for bathroom and spa. It’s unique design needs no ventilation. In fact if one wanted to change anything (lighting, music, or even water temperature) you could do that with the touch of a button or from your smart phone or even better call out and have the voice commands be given to the Automation system that obeys like an obedient servant, only one that never takes leave! Something that replenishes the toilet roll automatically, tells me If I forget my towel and even better hands the towel  out to me. Tells me If I need to have fresh blades for my razor and if the soap and shampoo stock in the bathroom is about to get over, it automatically orders it from my grocery store!

Smart Bathroom (Part 1)

Smart technology- does not mean you need to be a smart user! It means technology that makes use of products - easier and more convenient. In a bathroom specifically, while bathroom fittings are increasingly focusing on turning this mundane activity of a daily shower or use of the toilet, into a more relaxing and even enjoyable experience, we are moving to the world where comfort and luxury and technology are all intertwined, and the bathroom is one area in the house that is important and for some even central to this concept.

Smart Bathroom  is one that could turn the lights on as soon as you enter it. It would be intuitive enough to know if you entered during the night or day and adjust the lighting accordingly. It would play your favorite FM channel /music as soon as you started your daily bathroom activity. It would have the temperature of the water to just the right level for you. The toilet seat would become warm in winters and cool in summers. These are some of the technological advancements that have changed the very face of the bathrooms today.

In the past, a bathroom was a small, bog-like standard room. It was known for being one of the last places homeowners would renovate, but that is no longer the case. The bathroom is becoming a highly valued part of the home. Because of this, more homeowners are making improvements to their bathroom decor, accessories and appliances. Nowadays, many improve or renovate their bathrooms for relaxation and hygiene purposes.