Domotics

From ArticleWorld

Domotics appeared as the natural extension of informatics toward home appliances. The word itself is a portmanteau word and it derives from the Latin term for house (domus) and informatics.

Description

The most used applications are those involving remote controlled actions and automatisation if such a task is suitable. The most critical tasks assigned to date to such systems are the monitoring of the house environment for intruders or fire outbreaks. These are also the oldest and most developed applications. Typically a domotic system consists from sensors, a decision center (usually a computer running certain software) and tools to operate within the environment itself. Each of these components is liable to fail or fairly difficult to implement although newer technologies tend to ease this characteristic. For example older domotics used to recognize users via an electronic tag, which made it rather impractical, now more advanced techniques like face recognition makes the technology much more user friendly.

Types in use

Domotics have a wide array of applications. Here is a comprehensive list:

• Security related applications – such as the ability to call the firemen or police if an undesired event occurs. These also include the ability of locking/ unlocking doors, gates or garages via remote control.
• Electricity related applications – typically these take advantage of the lower electricity rates during off peak. This ensures a proper management of electricity.
• Minor adjusting applications – these applications control the movement of curtains, sunshades or blinds, completely automatic and depending on some settings specified by the user.
• Climate adjustment applications – these typically control the level of light in the house or the temperature level.
• Outdoor applications – these applications are used for certain areas around the house suitable for automatised applications. A good example would be the automatic sprinkler system.