The future of smart homes: how we might be living in 10 years' time

When his children have been watching TV for too long, an automated system notifies Chris and gives him the option of turning off the screen remotely or sending his kids a message.To get more news about smart homes, you can visit securamsys.com official website.

"I'll send a message to say 'what you are you doing? You've been sitting around for too long,'" Chris, who lives in Queensland with his family of four, says.

When data gathered from local weather stations indicate that rain will strike the eastern side of the house in exactly five minutes, the system tells him what windows on that side are open.

If he's not home and an intruder visits, a hidden smart speaker erupts with an aggressive barking noise.Technology that automates or remotely controls various household functions, from lighting to security, appears to be going mainstream, helped by a pandemic that has seen us spending more time at home, and more money on comforts like air fryers and smart speakers.

Chris's house is an extreme example, but locks, lights and doorbells that can be controlled through a phone and programmed to perform tasks automatically are becoming commonplace.

According to some, these are the leading edge of a dramatic change in our homes' relationship with technology.

This year's influential Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tech expo in Las Vegas saw a rush to capitalise on the trend: big brands launched a range of connected devices, from taps controlled by voice commands to video-streaming dog doors that open at a pet's approach.
The market research company Telsyte predicts the average Australian household will add more than 10 connected devices by 2025.

If current demand is any guide, most of these new devices will be smart power outlets, speakers and light bulbs, as well as video doorbells, remote-activated locks, and surveillance cameras.

But this is just the start, according to the smart home industry, which is pushing a new concept: "contextual awareness".

This is where the home environment adapts to the desires and routines of its inhabitants: alarm clocks read the owner's schedule and set themselves accordingly, health sensors detect signs of illness and automatically order medicine, software dims lights and plays music according to a person's habits — or even their apparent mood.On the Facebook group "Home Automation Australia" (HAA), he and 9,000 other members share knowledge and trade jargon-heavy questions referencing obscure products and protocols.

Created in 2017, HAA tripled its members over six months last year, according to one of the group's admins, Brent Wesley.

Many members work in IT and most are men aged 25-54.

"Most people seem to be joining for much the same reasons: they are saving energy, improving securing, and adding convenience," Brent says.

Pool pumps can automatically turn on during the middle of the day, when a rooftop solar array is producing excess energy. Security cameras can be trained to distinguish between a nosy dog and an intruder. Light switches can be activated by voice command. Blinds can rise with the Sun. TVs can spring to life when a person flops on a couch.