This blog is about taking a regular home and using technology in a way that improves our daily lives. Not for the sake of technology itself, but to make every day easier, or more enlighentened.
I don’t want to ask Alexa/Google to turn on the lights, I can hit the button on the wall just as easily, or even easier, given that Alexa and Google Assistant does a poor job of speaking Danish. The lights should turn on and off automatically when needed, but ONLY when needed.
I am a software engineer by trade, and a computer scientist by education, so while I have the skills to do a lot of custom stuff, I would rather not. I have a full time job, and a wife and kids (which is another full time job :)).
My journey to a smart home and home automation, is an ongoing journey, where I try to build something that fits in to the concept of actually being smart, while not requiring lots and lots of maintenance and specialized skills.
Home Information
For years I have been looking into the home automation space, and thinking: “When can we just buy something and plug it together”. I have looked into various solutions, protocols, open-source software, proprietary solutions etc. Each time I have been disappointed by the state of things. Recently, it seems that the interop solutions provided by various hardware manufactors like Aeotec/Samsung SmartThings and Homey have bridge one of the huge gaps, so it was time to take the plunge.
Starting out I figured I needed to find “something” to automate. Lo and behold, the internet is filled with people automating their lights and their heating as their first projects. Automating lights is mostly a no go for me, ordinary PIR sensors does the trick just fine and living in a modern house with central, remote waterborne heating basically means there is little to automate (note I have since moved to a house with electric heating panels which changes the equation quite a bit!).
I guess everyone is different when it comes to connecting your home to the internet. For me it turns out that connecting my home to sensors, and various internet services is more about gathering information, insights and correlating that information in way that allows me to adjust behaviours and routines.
I can automate turning on and off my lights, and theoretically I could automate my dishwasher, but there is already a fine scheduling feature on the dishwasher. What I lacked was information about things such as:
- How much power does it use
- When am I using power for other things
- What is the price for my power usage
I recently aquired an electric car, the same sort of questions presented themselves.
It turns out: For me and my family the first important step in a smart home, is to gather “Home Information”. The automation will follow.
Hopefully this blog will be able to provide you with some insights into how you can gather information about your home, and the automate your routines.