What is Domotica

The requirements of a domotica or “Smart Home” system can be summarised under the following points:

• Monitoring your home environment (sensing) and potentially controlling  (acting upon) devices as a result of detected changes in the monitored environment e.g.

  Sensor	Action
  Motion detection	Turning lights on/off Alarm and camera functions note how domotica allows equipment such as a passive infra-red (PIR) sensor to be used for both alarm and automation functions.
  Temperature and Humidity	Control heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) devices
  Light levels	Turn lights on/off
  Smoke, Carbon-monoxide and flooding	Alarm functions, activate pumps and/or close taps

• Controlling devices on a pre-determined time basis e.g.
  • Simulating the normal environment when you are actually absent.
  • Waking you by opening the blinds and setting your radio to a news channel.
• Integration of manual commands from external devices e.g.
  • Remote control of devices via internet or LAN connected apps e.g. on your mobile phone or on voice input to Google Home/Assistant, Amazon's Echo/Alexa etc.
  • Doorbells with internet connected intercom/Video and possibly lock release.
  • GPS positioning to know when you are on the way home and make the house warm for your arrival.
• Organising and sequencing multiple commands to various devices (from multiple suppliers) to create a homogenous automation experience. These groupings are known as Scenes, Skills or Activities depending on the control system involved.
  • Close the blinds and/or dim the lights, turn on the TV, sound bar and your set top box with a single voice command or single press of a button.

We could reduce this list to sensor and action or actions but adding timed commands and remote voice or app control brings more relevance to the current domotica technologies.

Questions or comments, please e-mail us at info@snys.nl