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HOME AUTOMATION: Techno Wonderlands By Janice Milliner The Techno Home
In movies like “The Absent Minded Professor” and “Honey I Shrunk the Kids,” we have all laughed at the entertaining, overactive imaginations of those lovable tech-nerds whose ambition of automation only resulted in disaster. However, in all fairness to the noble aspirations of the tech-nerd and his taped, thick-rimmed glasses, we now have to say: You’ve come a long way baby! With the introduction of the “Techno Home,” men and women alike are benefiting from homes filled with 21st century conveniences. Although the Techno Home may appear frivolous and indulgent to some, it makes perfect sense to the millions who come face to face with technological conveniences every day like Palm Pilots, iPhones, on-demand television and laptops. It’s these modern marvels and outside experiences that have made many consider the benefits of bringing it all together inside the home. We are living in the age of technical infiltration, not unlike past historical eras of opportunity coupled with mayhem like the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. Only today, everyone is enthralled by technological wonders, discovery and opportunity. It is as if technology has become a new-founded natural resource, and its incorporation into our homes is all part of the natural evolution of progression. The stigma has always been that home automation is a decadent, expensive aspiration. This is a dying myth, however, in light of the many benefits that the technology now offers to homeowners. Though images of robotics and voice-command-activated operating systems may be on the extreme side of home automation, the Techno Home can in fact provide homeowners with greater control of the home environment. In the Techno Home, the possibilities are as limitless as the imagination. Weighing in on the practical side are many Techno Home staples such as voice, data, video, appliance, security, lighting, and remote (access) control. Techno Home security, for instance, features thermal heat sensors that can detect the difference between an animal or an intruder on your property. Security and safety are both addressed by lighting systems that begin a series of pathway illumination the moment you pull your car into your driveway, or by lighting a hallway triggered by your steps as you make you way to the kitchen or to check on the children.
Home automation and integration is the ultimate blending of technology and home management. You can add comfort, convenience and safety, and at the same time save money, too. Techno Home remote control means more than simply pointing a handheld “clicker.” Automated home systems can be accessed remotely anywhere in the house, as well as by remote control access from your downtown office computer or your mobile telephone. If you want to turn on the fireplace, your favorite news channel or set the A/C to just the right temperature all before you leave the office, it’s as good as done with just the touch of your keyboard. There are even refrigerator/oven combinations that allow homeowners to prepare their roasted favorites beforehand and then coolly store the meal until the preprogrammed cook time begins the baking process. In the Techno Home, no traditional home functional element has been left unaddressed. HVAC systems include indoor/outdoor air monitoring, Co2 and other emergency conditions monitoring, as well as off-site remote access control. In case of a fire, some systems will immediately shut off the HVAC system to prevent smoke from circulating throughout the home. Smart appliances like built-in vacuum systems let you clean your home and improve indoor air quality at the same time. “It’s a healthy way of life,” says Auddie Gundling of SMILE, Inc. “There are no dust or vacuum odors. Just plug the hose into the nearest inlet and you’re on your way to a cleaner, healthier home. Dirt is swept through a network of tubing and deposited into a transparent, removable dirt canister. It definitely improves the value of your home.” Lighting Techno Home lighting systems can be triggered by motion, heat, outside light and/or remote control access. Automated blinds that can screen UV rays and provide privacy depending on the time of day can be preprogrammed at the touch of a button. And of course, multi-media applications that flow through the Techno Home can pipe audio and video for entertainment and/or security purposes, depending on the homeowners wants and needs.
“Customized lighting systems make it easy to program settings that match your lifestyle,” says Brian Miedel, Architectural Lighting Manager for LaFace & McGovern Associates, Inc. “You can illuminate a nighttime path to the restroom, or you can set the mood for a romantic dinner. You can also program the lights to “party mode” to crank up the excitement, or set-up an “end of day” mode that turns on specific lights and turns off others for set time periods, all with the touch of a button.” Homeowners and homebuilders opting for home-automated upgrades and improvements have a wide range of Techno Home technologies and budgets to choose from. Lighting automation and energy savings are two of the very first items addressed when homeowners are thinking of creating a Techno Home. “The sales of Whole House lighting systems continue to grow substantially each year due to the size of new homes, and the convenience and security that these systems provide for the homeowner. It is the perfect way to have complete control of the entire lighting system from one location, allowing the homeowner to set various scenes for the appropriate light levels needed throughout the day while saving energy,” said Jackie Robertson, Director of Showroom Operations at The Hite Company.
Blinds Many Techno Homes include state-of-the-art integrated electronic systems on blinds and curtain products. “One of the hottest products in the Pittsburgh market is the computerized roller-blind system and curtain track system,” says Terry Gensler, president of Preferred Drapery. “We offer only the finest world-class systems from Lutron, which operate smoothly and in perfect alignment. With just a touch of a button all of your window treatments will reduce glare and protect your furnishings from U/V damage.”
Home Theaters
Sometimes with technology comes innovation. A staple in almost every Techno Home is the home theater or advanced audiovisual system. What once seemed so confusing, complicated and expensive is now quite simple. With the press of a single button, today’s Techno Home can take care of all aspects of viewing a movie. “Home theaters are no longer only for the ‘rich and famous,’” says Tim Ciccone, owner of TheaterXtreme. “More and more of our customers in Pittsburgh are building home theaters that are integrated with all other aspects of their homes. We have clients that have rooms with electronic blinds that lower and lights that dim just as the movie is about to start. The technology is making it possible for us to offer home theaters that are as incredible as they are economical.”
Choose your wiring specialist carefully. You want to choose only the companies that know exactly what is needed to properly equip your home. These days professionals are responding to the growing demand to facilitate home automation requests by taking advantage of supplier online training and educational workshops. When hiring a company for home automation, it is very important for homeowners and builders alike to know the company’s level of expertise and training, as well as the reliability of their products and warranties. A detailed wiring system is the key to the success of your Techno Home. A qualified professional can provide a dependable system for telephone and video wiring (typically category-5 and RG-6), which will allow greater flexibility for your home and provide the infrastructure you’ll need for structured wiring. Wiring systems connect to various wall outlets throughout your home that connect to a central hub. This is the basis that will allow for the most flexibility for all of your voice, data, video, audio, appliance, lighting and security needs. Most home wiring systems have not kept pace with these new technologies. Increasingly, the value of a house is directly related to how electronically-friendly the home is. Homes that are not wired for the future risk being obsolete before they are finished being built. The installation of a professionally designed and installed structured wiring system will ensure long-term retention of value, family enjoyment, expandability and functionality of your home. Photo courtesy of LUTRON The Future Planning for the future is the key to your success, as the needs of your family will change over time. A structured cabling system will allow for flexibility and additions without having to install new wiring. As your family’s phone, video, appliances and computer network change, adjustments can be made easily at your hub without the need of additional unsightly wires. With your structured cabling system in place, you can distribute your video and audio signals throughout your home so that your expensive equipment and subscription services can be shared. And the convenience of networking with your various computers and other expensive equipment will save you time and money. You can also design your home with various video monitors installed both inside and out. With a Techno Home your distributed video can allow you to view the pool area from your living room, keep an eye on children playing or watch a baby sleeping. You can even have a picture-in-picture pop up on your TV screen when someone rings the doorbell so you can see who is calling. Your family can also view the various images from your home monitors from a remote computer—a handy tool when teenagers are left home alone. You can also integrate all of your video, audio and lighting together to fulfill all of your entertainment, security, comfort and ambiance needs. Techno Home technology has evolved to become a fast-growing and very competitive industry, and Pittsburghers are among the world’s leaders in this type of technology. In fact, students right here at Carnegie Mellon University rank among some of the world’s top researchers and developers in the industry. The ultimate aim of the Techno Home is not merely computerized gadgetry and automation; it is also sustainability and conservation with an intellectual response regarding our society’s future health and the environment. Hats off to the geeks again! What began simply as a novelty, in turn has become another really smart idea.
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A common dream of men has always been an entire house-full of do-hickies, thing-a-ma-jigs and other high-tech gadgetries.
In your Techno Home you can integrate your lighting with your installed security system so that lights automatically respond to an intrusion. Many systems offer the ability to turn on every light in your home in an instant. In the case of an emergency, your exterior lights can be programmed to flash in order to draw immediate attention to your home while your security system summons help.
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