Hello everyone,
I am generally knowledgeable and open-minded when it comes to IT, but I’m not really comfortable with "Smart Home" technology. That’s why I’m asking the community why you decided to go for it, especially in light of my concerns.
Overall, I don’t see much value in the typical smart home features. This is partly due to my way of living, but also largely because of the functions offered. For example, I don’t feel the need to control lighting via smartphone. Each room has appropriate light switches or motion sensors. Controlling blinds/shutters is unnecessary for me since I deliberately opted not to install shutters, except for two large south-facing windows. The same applies to a ventilation system, which I don’t have nor need. Turning devices on and off via an app strikes me as unnecessary.
What bothers me in particular is the multitude of protocols, the proprietary technology, and manufacturer-dependent software. I simply do not want to buy and install an expensive system from a manufacturer when I don’t know if they will still exist in five years or whether and how the software will be further developed.
Devices that can actually be usefully controlled via app now come with Wi-Fi capability and a matching app, so I don’t need a complex smart home system for that. For example, heating systems/heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, charging stations, video intercoms, robot vacuum cleaners, etc. Whether you really need an app for a washing machine, refrigerator, or dishwasher is debatable, but even these appliances have become "smart" nowadays.
Maybe I’m missing a significant advantage of smart home technology—if so, please feel free to fill in my knowledge gap!
I am generally knowledgeable and open-minded when it comes to IT, but I’m not really comfortable with "Smart Home" technology. That’s why I’m asking the community why you decided to go for it, especially in light of my concerns.
Overall, I don’t see much value in the typical smart home features. This is partly due to my way of living, but also largely because of the functions offered. For example, I don’t feel the need to control lighting via smartphone. Each room has appropriate light switches or motion sensors. Controlling blinds/shutters is unnecessary for me since I deliberately opted not to install shutters, except for two large south-facing windows. The same applies to a ventilation system, which I don’t have nor need. Turning devices on and off via an app strikes me as unnecessary.
What bothers me in particular is the multitude of protocols, the proprietary technology, and manufacturer-dependent software. I simply do not want to buy and install an expensive system from a manufacturer when I don’t know if they will still exist in five years or whether and how the software will be further developed.
Devices that can actually be usefully controlled via app now come with Wi-Fi capability and a matching app, so I don’t need a complex smart home system for that. For example, heating systems/heat pumps, photovoltaic systems, charging stations, video intercoms, robot vacuum cleaners, etc. Whether you really need an app for a washing machine, refrigerator, or dishwasher is debatable, but even these appliances have become "smart" nowadays.
Maybe I’m missing a significant advantage of smart home technology—if so, please feel free to fill in my knowledge gap!
No matter how you look at it, people often need to be compelled to change. Nothing changes on its own.
Environmental protection and cars are the best examples.
The majority only accept or start to engage with these issues when they have no other choice. The same will apply to smart homes; eventually, it will become mandatory to have a minimum level of automation. In the end, this saves energy and benefits the environment. Every ton of fossil fuel not burned is preferable. And intelligent houses with demand-driven energy supply are better than those without.
Environmental protection and cars are the best examples.
The majority only accept or start to engage with these issues when they have no other choice. The same will apply to smart homes; eventually, it will become mandatory to have a minimum level of automation. In the end, this saves energy and benefits the environment. Every ton of fossil fuel not burned is preferable. And intelligent houses with demand-driven energy supply are better than those without.
A truly smart house wouldn’t be programmed in advance but would observe your daily life for a month and then do everything automatically exactly as you need. If it does something wrong, you give a “no” command and show what you really want. Then it measures your metabolic data and doesn’t make coffee but tea instead, because that’s better for you... In that case, the “no” command naturally has no effect 🙂
It may sound like something from the future, but this is roughly how modern smart homes operate.
Of course, without metabolic analysis or forced choices like tea instead of coffee. But with elements of learning the residents’ behavior and constantly and autonomously adjusting routines within set parameters.
In this regard, cars are sometimes ahead, as they have been independently learning the driver’s habits for a long time.
Of course, without metabolic analysis or forced choices like tea instead of coffee. But with elements of learning the residents’ behavior and constantly and autonomously adjusting routines within set parameters.
In this regard, cars are sometimes ahead, as they have been independently learning the driver’s habits for a long time.
Who said anything about changing the parameter settings? These can remain as they are. Of course, there are always options and ways to adjust them. The main point is to allow enough flexibility within the parameter settings to accommodate higher-level systems.
But to answer your question: KNX provides the appropriate infrastructure, and at the management level, devices can incorporate learning functions. These could be any kind of logic controllers (for example, LogicMachine, Savant, or others) with the necessary feature set. Even a simple dimmer nowadays can automatically detect the connected load and select the appropriate dimming curve. If something else is connected, it chooses a different one. And the dimmer does not necessarily need to have KNX built in.
This thread is actually about general questions.
But to answer your question: KNX provides the appropriate infrastructure, and at the management level, devices can incorporate learning functions. These could be any kind of logic controllers (for example, LogicMachine, Savant, or others) with the necessary feature set. Even a simple dimmer nowadays can automatically detect the connected load and select the appropriate dimming curve. If something else is connected, it chooses a different one. And the dimmer does not necessarily need to have KNX built in.
This thread is actually about general questions.
Sahitaz schrieb:
But all the others in the house are controlled so that it makes sense according to the weather and saves energy. Not having to reach for the light switch anymore is convenient (if well configured). And with a single button press, the night mode could be activated—so the lighting doesn’t come on at 100% brightness when you wake up at night but is pleasantly dimmed, especially if you go to bed at different times every day and can’t control it by schedule... What you write is completely understandable and interesting. I don’t think smart home technology is fundamentally bad either. In the end, it’s an individual choice.
Personally, I am a fan of simplicity and durability, especially with such long-lasting structures as houses. All the technology that isn’t really necessary makes things not only expensive but also maintenance-intensive and complicated. I am an IT and technology supporter, but I only use technologies where they make sense and provide significant benefits. In the case of smart homes, I am convinced that you’re tying yourself to a technological burden and the added value (for me) is negligible.
For example, I considered installing a fingerprint sensor on the front door but decided against it because electronic locks tend to be more prone to failure, and the benefit wasn’t particularly significant for me.