Smart home automation is all about making your life simpler, and there’s nothing simpler than a system that doesn’t require you to press any buttons at all. Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo have made voice control more prominent in recent years, but there are other systems you can use to control your home automation system. Let’s look at some options for Calgary homeowners looking for alternative ways to control their automated home.

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System scheduling

One simple but effective means of going hands-free with home automation is to use the scheduling functions built into many smart devices. This requires a little more work upfront for homeowners, but done properly, your automated home can essentially run itself.

A good system to use for trying out an automated schedule is home automation lighting control. Depending on the system you choose, you can program your lights to adjust according to the sun’s position in the sky. Failing that, it’s fairly easy to schedule your lights according to your body’s circadian rhythm.

Lighting control is hardly the only system in your automated home that has this scheduling capability. Motorized window shades are another easy option to consider, as they can be scheduled to make maximum use of daylight while also keeping your home well-insulated. Any system you have where your day-to-day usage doesn’t vary a great deal is a prime candidate for scheduled automation.

SYSTEM SENSORS

Motion sensors and similar devices are another easy way to make automation hands-free. The two most obvious candidates for this type of hands-free control are home security systems and, once again, your automation lighting control system.

Let’s start with home security systems. While you can have your surveillance cameras running 24/7, and you may wish to do so, it makes more sense to have those cameras linked to motion sensors. If nothing else, you want to be notified if something happens to your home, and motion sensors can help your system alert you to an incident. Motion sensors are also a crucial component of any alarm system you install, as door and window sensors can sometimes be manipulated by intruders from outside your house.

As far as lighting control goes, motion sensors are especially useful if you install any outdoor lights. You can set up sensors to turn your lights on as you walk out the back door, or install them around your driveway to better illuminate the path to your front door. Sensors can also be used in conjunction with your motorized shades to adjust your shades and fixtures to account for how bright it is outside.

VOICE CONTROL

Want to go hands-free but don’t trust your devices to get it right on their own? Voice control gives you more ways to manage your devices without the use of a touchpad, wall panel or other smart house control system device.

What voice control gives you that scheduling and sensors don’t is a more direct way to interact with your devices. You still have the same fine degree of control and finesse that comes with a touchpad or similar device, just without a physical control surface.

What’s more, the number of devices that can interact with a smart speaker is growing every day. You can already control your lights and home audio system with Amazon’s Alexa and its competitors, and who knows what the future will bring??

If you’re interested in learning more about any of these technologies and how they can simplify your home automation system in Calgary, call Insight Automation International’s Calgary office at 1-888-447-1998 or visit us online.