Before we can talk about a home automation system, the basics have to be explained. For this reason, in this post we are going to explain in a very clear way everything you need to know to get started in this technological field.
It was 1966 when the great-great-grandfather of home automation was created. A device the size of a small room that was able to control some tasks by itself such as the temperature or the lights of a house. This technological giant was known as ECHO (Electronic Computing Home Operator) IV. The name will ring a bell because Amazon’s smart speakers are called Echo. Coincidence? Etymology? Who knows.
The reality is that this gadget created in the United States remained a milestone for technology. A breakthrough that was not aligned with the moment in which it was created and will go down in history as the first, but not the best.
It was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that general building control systems began to be installed in the United States, giving rise to the concept of intelligent buildings. These so-called SCE systems pulled a set of wires through the building so that the building was connected to devices. This breakthrough came at a time of change when computers began to democratise and move away from their primary owners: companies and universities. Thus, the term ‘home automation’ was born on the other side of the Atlantic, a term that would still need several years to be translated as it is known today: home automation.
Just as the world’s economic power began to install these home improvement packages, the rest of the world, of course, had to jump on the bandwagon. Companies dedicated to the development of this new technology were counted in pairs and the strength and unity of all their efforts resulted in an unprecedented advance in R&D for the sector. From the original wired system, which was tedious and complicated to install, a secular leap was seen with wireless systems. The old and the new domotics would then take different paths for different needs.
The domotised home could then be closer to what we enjoy today, but like everything else in life it would be subject to the details to be defined. Of course, this first breakthrough was only the starting signal for the security protocols in wireless systems to begin to take an interest in the field of home automation. This last point is one of the most relevant in this story.
After Y2K and its null destruction of the technology, home automation underwent another evolution. At this point, what had been advanced in wireless domotics, the new domotics, would begin to be sent to the home. What had previously been used in companies and large buildings for energy savings, improved security and access control was now an affordable option for homes.
Today, security protocols such as WIFI, ZIGBEE or Z-WAVE that are found in some home automation systems are on a par with those of public administrations or banks. At the end of the day, a home is always the place you want to be most protected. That is why in many cases Z-WAVE is chosen because of the level of protection it offers.
Technology in general and home automation in particular continue to grow by leaps and bounds. The proliferation of smart devices, voice assistants and the almost vital use of smartphones is the perfect breeding ground for bringing everything together to create the ideal home. All the advances that have been implemented throughout the history of home automation are only the first links in the chain, giving way to the more specific solutions for the routines of our daily lives.
After this journey through the life of home automation in which we find wired and wireless technology, the access of large companies and the enjoyment of private homes and telematic actions and learned automations, we can say that this technology was born to improve aspects in buildings and has remained to help people. It is this ability that makes home automation such a recommended option for everyday life.
