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.

 

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

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.

Motorized Shading System (Part 2)

What's in store?

SivoiaQS is the next generation of shading technology from Lutron, and the ideal solution for total light control. Its simplified wiring and common communication language allows for easy integration with Lutron lighting controls. Control electric light and daylight now at the touch of a button! It offers precision control of shades in one room, multiple rooms, or an entire home or building all at the touch of a button. Using the proprietary Clear Connect™ RF Technology from Lutron, Sivoia QS Wireless directly integrates with Lutron lighting control systems, delivering total light control to any space.

Features:

·         Precision Control of Daylight

·         Total Light Control

·         Ultra-Quite Performance

·         Easy to Design, Install and Integrate

·         Simple Operation, Beautiful Aesthetics

Add convenience :

•        Adjust shades with a wire-free handheld or wall-mounted control from anywhere in the room

•        A single button press adjusts hard-to-reach window treatments

•        Operate quietly to prevent disruption in any space

•        Cord-free design makes this solution safe for homes with young children or pets

 

 Enhance your décor :

•        Choose from beautiful fabrics, colors, styles, and textures

•        Give your room a crisp, clean look that complements many decorating styles

Save energy :

•        Lower shades in summer to insulate the space and help reduce cooling costs

•        Raise shades in winter to let sun in during the day and lower them at night to trap the day’s heat, and reduce heating costs

•        Insulate your home effectively with the heat-trapping air pockets of insulating honeycomb shades, which enhance energy efficiency

Types of Motorized Shades Solutions:

·         Curtain/ Drapery Track System

·         Roller Shades/ Blinds

·         Roman Shades

·         Venetian Blinds

·         Kirbe Vertical Drapery Systems

·         Skylight Shades

To know more visit our website >>

LED Lighting & Controls

LED Lighting while being beneficial in a lot of ways, primarily output and efficiency output versus the energy consumed brings with it, a whole new set of issues that we at ATPL, in the business of lighting controls have to deal with regularly. Since the LED juggernaut is rolling on with no signs of stopping, it is best that we understand that everything (Lighting) in a project is going to be LED and prepare ourselves accordingly.

Just because we have dimmers does not mean that LED fixture will dim!

One of the most common misconceptions among end users is that if they have opted for Lighting controls, the LED lights purchased will dim. It is necessary to inform them that not every LED light is dimmable. In fact, the majority of the LED lights that are available in the market today are not fitted with dimmable drivers. One question that everyone needs to ask when purchasing an LED lighting fixture is “Is it dimmable”?

This brings us to the basic question - What makes the LED light dimmable? or

'What comprises of an LED fixture'?

In short, an LED Lighting fixture comprises of:

a) The Light Engine – which is the LED chip that emits light when current passé through it

b) Power supply or Driver that supplies the right amount of current through the LED chip

c) Heat Sink and casing, that ensures the right temperature for a longer life of the LED chip. It is the 

LED driver that receives the dimming signal from the dimmer and varies current or voltage accordingly to allow dimming of the light output. The LED driver either maintains a constant current or a constant voltage while varying the other, to vary the light output from the LED engine.
The type of dimming signal varies and is again dependent upon what the driver will accept. The common types prevalent in the market are 1-10 volts, phase controlled dimming (line voltage dimming), DALI dimming and DMX dimming. Please be clear that the dimming signal types does not have a bearing on the quality of dimming. The capability of the dimmable driver to a large extent determines the dimming quality and that its capability comprises of parameters that have to do with consistent performance and light output (Flicker free dimming) over the stated range of dimming signal.