Have you ever wondered what it takes to transform an analogue home into a truly smart home? Sure, you need a bunch of smart home devices and some apps to run them. But dig a bit more deeply. Think on a more granular level. The two most critical components of a smart home are automation software and sensors. If you are missing either one, you’re out of luck.
I like to think of automation software as the brains behind a smart home system. Meanwhile, sensors are more or less the central nervous system. They pick up signals and send them to the brain, which is essentially a central hub powered by automation software.
Sensors Are Everywhere
I am guessing most people take sensors for granted. But make no mistake about it. They are everywhere. Literally hundreds of sensors make modern cars functional. Meanwhile, those automatic doors at the grocery store only function because they have sensors built in. I could go on and on, but trying to list every sensor a person interacts with on a daily basis would require a dozen blog posts.
In the home automation environment, it is a system’s collection of sensors that make automation possible. For example, have you ever heard of a smart thermostat? Of course you have. Vivint Smart Home explains that a smart thermostat is a good entry-level device for people just getting started in home automation.
Vivint also says that some high-end smart thermostats are capable of artificially learning and adjusting programming. How do they do it? They collect data from a variety of sensors around the home. The data is analyzed to artificially learn the homeowner’s routine. Then programming can be automatically adjusted.
More Sensors Equals More Automation
Taking a good look at what a smart thermostat is capable of reveals something that might not otherwise be obvious: employing more sensors opens the door to more automation opportunities. Remember that sensors are the central nervous system of a smart home. The more you have, the more you can do.
Sensors make it possible to integrate a variety of home automation devices including thermostats, smart locks, intelligent lighting, and so forth. The sensors for one technology can trigger a series of cascading events across an entire home automation ecosystem, engaging nearly every device in that system.
Software Manages It All
Holding everything together and managing each device is the responsibility of home automation software. Companies like Vivint sell centralized control hubs designed explicitly for that purpose. A centralized hub is far more convenient and powerful than individual apps for every device.
A consumer could equip his home with smart lighting controlled by a single app on his phone. Then he could buy a few smart plugs. They also have their own app. Throw in a smart thermostat and a new smart door lock and you get even more functionality. What if all those devices were connected and controlled from a centralized hub? You could dispense with the individual apps while also integrating individual device functions.
Without automation software, smart home devices do not offer much value. You get some value with individual apps. But if you hope to maximize value, you need a centralized platform for controlling everything.
No matter how you cut it, automation software and sensors are the two most critical components in a smart home. You need both to actually make your smart devices do what they are supposed to do. Home automation software acts as the brain while sensors are the nervous system. They work together to do amazing things.
