[HH] home automation reviews

[Ed]

Speaking of automation, the WSJ ran an article and video on the current
state of home automation.  Geoff Fowler tries out Revolv, Stapes Connect
and SmartThings hubs and concludes that they're not yet ready for prime
time.  The current crop might be suitable for hobbyists, but can be
frustrating for mere mortals due to limitations/inflexibility, complexity
and lack of interoperability:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303650204579376842386152058


On Sun, Feb 2, 2014 at 3:11 AM, Tom Metro <tmetro+hhacking at gmail.com> wrote:

> On a prior episode of the news program linked to below, a viewer
> commented that the thing he saw missing from the current consumer home
> automation market was systems that could handle multiple protocols. He
> said that business building automation systems could do this for a long
> time, and what was needed was for someone to come along and scale these
> down for home use.
>
> In response to that, another viewer commented:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI-KO-VEXFc#t=1304 (offset 22:41)
>
> saying that the reason why we don't see such systems is the cost, citing
> expensive controllers, and Z-Wave light switches that run $50 each. He
> goes on to say there are some options, such as the Vera controller (not
> open enough, last time I looked), and Smart Things (which I haven't
> investigate yet; see below for video), both of which work with multiple
> protocols.
>
>
> Some interesting stuff happening in home automation lately, but I'm
> still left pretty skeptical as to the openness. The companies getting
> into this space are largely trying to make solutions that have some
> utility to low tech-skill consumers. The objective is to deliver
> something that's a turn-key appliance, that doesn't require a home
> automation consultant to design and install, and isn't something that
> can only be pieced together by hobbyists, as was largely the case with
> X-10.
>
> I can't blame them for wanting to do this, but often such efforts come
> at the expense of openness and interoperability. One place where we see
> ease of use taking precedent over openness is when it comes to reliance
> on cloud services. Most consumer friendly connected devices rely on some
> cloud service, because it makes the product setup easier.
>
> The down side is that it usually means your data is going to the
> manufacturer's site, and is either not available to you or available in
> a more limited form. Integration with other devices and controllers may
> not be feasible. Privacy is a problem. And if the manufacturer goes out
> of business, the device is likely useless.
>
> One of the most interesting projects in this space is the Home
> Automation Server project:
> http://homeautomationserver.com/
>
> which is attempting to build a fully open home automation controller
> platform (using wither Arduino or Raspberry Pi hardware), and provides a
> free cloud service, to facilitate mobile control. (Presumably the cloud
> service can be swapped out for a local server.)
>
> Here's a tutorial illustrating an example project where you can light up
> a few LEDs and control a few servos and a web cam:
>
> http://randomnerdtutorials.com/home-automation-server-project-example-tutorial/
>
> I've only skimmed the info on this project. So far I'm not seeing some
> critical bits, like interfaces to control existing home automation
> protocols, like Z-Wave. It also needs some controller software that
> allows creating home automations rules via web browser or similar.
> Without those parts, this is just a fancy way to remotely talk to an
> Arduino.
>
>
> I'm still working through the CES coverage of home automation devices.
> Here's Engadget's coverage of "The Smart Things House":
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DQfhdK5qMw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
>
>  -Tom
> _______________________________________________
>
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