Home Automation
“Home automation” is the design and inclusion of cybernetics that improve the “habitability” of a residence i.e. computer-controlled systems that attempt to adjust the environment in anticipation of our messy, fleshy human needs.
Ideas
Lighting
- smart-switches lights
- dimmers
- motion-sensitive stair lighting
- controllable shelf accent lights in library for finding books
- temperature logging
- rooms
- refrigerator & freezer
- weather station
- automatic heating, cooling
- powered curtains/blinds
- utilities
- electricity
- mains
- solar (input)
- water
- gas
- Internet usage (GB)
- electricity
- services
- database
- web-server
- file-server
- security
- Cheap!
- No ongoing costs
- Motion detection
- Intrusion notification
- IM
- SMS
- phone
- Remote-controllable
- Integrated display on existing screens
- Media
- integrated UI/UX
- television - smart-tv
- multichannel TV recorder (PVR)
- downloaded tv series
- movies
- streaming channels
- music collection
- ripped CDs
- downloads
- streaming Internet radio
- multi-zone:
- multiple displays
- multiple (zoned) speakers
- multiple control schemes (but only ONE required)
- universal remote
- android and iPhone remotes
- wiimote
- wireless gaming controller e.g. xbox360
- kinect "minority report"
- lounge room starscape
- computer games
- Storage
- Massive file server
- code
- ebooks
- movies and music with metadata
- television series
- documents, books with metadata
- source code repositories (git)
- software upgrades (e.g. apt-cache)
- Telephony
- voice call in-out
- voice-mail
- ability to transfer calls
- video conferencing
- cheap overseas calls
- integration with Home Multimedia (e.g. pause, play)
- SkypeOut
- Faster LAN (gigabit minimum)
- separate media-streaming cable-run
- separate short run to the lab
- Telemetry with the Jeep