WILL HOME AUTOMATION CATCH ON?

Bob Hetherington, Editor HTI News

Introduction

The concept of Home Automation has been around since the beginning of time. Don't tell me that those cavemen didn't croon over the idea of automatically starting the cooking fire on the way home from their latest dinosaur hunt. And what about the million and one mousetraps out there … or the door latch that automatically catches when closed.

Simple automation products like these have two things in common:

1. The problem is common.
2. The solution is simple, effective, reliable and economical.

Controlling our homes with electronics is the natural progression of our desire to simplify everyday tasks so that we can enjoy more leisure time. This fact seems to satisfy the first of these criteria … the problem is common.

Do the solutions satisfy the second criteria? Yes and no. Some are simple … some are effective … some are economical … a few are reliable. I don't know of any systems yet that satisfy all of the above. So, do we despair. I think not. The fact is, there are many examples of products that we have accepted as "can't live without" that don't come anywhere near satisfying these criteria. Let's look at a few examples.

Telephone - One of the first electronic home automation devices invented. When the telephone was first invented no-one considered it a necessity and few thought it would catch on. As time went on however, the product developed until it did in fact satisfy our criteria and people adopted it as a "must have to survive" item. Unfortunately, progress being what it is, we couldn't leave well enough alone and now the modern telephone no longer satisfies all of our criteria … it's no longer simple and not as reliable. Yes, it has more features but have we sacrificed simplicity for bells and whistles. Time will tell.

Television - Aha … entertainment comes to the forefront. We definitely can't live without this one. And again it has evolved past the optimum usability point. How can we cope with programming from several hundred channels and remote controls that could launch a space shuttle?

VCR - 12:00

PC - Now, here's one for the books. It doesn't satisfy any of the criteria and yet sales are booming and everyone's getting on board. Has there ever been a product that wasn't more confusing and exasperating than the PC. Not only that, the darn things change every week. You'd have to be a billionaire genius to keep ahead .

So, as we can see, most if not all of today's modern conveniences do not satisfy our criteria.

Why then do they continue to be successful and popular? Because we've come to depend on and enjoy them.

How did this happen? Marketing.

Is that all? No, first there must be a group of products available that come close to satisfying our criteria. People have to try the simple systems and realize that they can't live without them. Neighbors must begin to compete to see who can do the most with their remote control.

How Today's HA Systems Fit the Criteria

The most common use of Home Automation Systems today is for lighting control via the powerline (X10) so let's see how we're doing in that area first.

Is the problem common? Yes, almost everyone would like to save energy and add convenience by having better control over their lighting environment.

Is the solution simple? Yes if you consider X10 lighting controls. A basic remote control lighting system is almost plug and play. The only complicated part for some is the switch installation and this can be done by an electrician with little or no training.

Is the solution effective? Yes. The basic lighting systems can be controlled by simple timers and remote controls giving us many options to effectively enhance our environment.

Is the solution reliable? Oops not entirely. But it's just as reliable as a most of the products discussed above and the problems encountered are common and fixable in most cases. Unlike the PC for example which can become a very cumbersome paperweight for any one of a million reasons.

Is the solution economical? Absolutely. X10 components are some of the cheapest toys on the market today. Compared to the cost of other electronic toys like television, stereo etc. the investment required for simple home automation equipment is small.

It appears then that Home Automation should be as common as the mousetrap. Not only do we have a simple system like X10 lighting control but there are several sophisticated home automation systems available for the more adventurous and new advancements are arriving every day.

Marketing Home Automation.

If all of the above is true then why hasn't home automation caught on yet? Looks like the only answer left is the marketing thing. So far home automation has been stuck in two markets … The Do It Yourself Group and the High End Market. There is still a major void in the average consumer marketplace. In other words I still can't walk into a Future Shop or Walmart and buy a home automation kit to take home and plug in. I can go to Radio Shack and buy some of the components (usually stuck away on a rack in the corner) but odds are that there won't be anyone there to advise or inform me of the system capabilities or sell me on the idea of home automation.

In order for HA to become popular there will have to be a conscientious marketing effort directed at the average home electronics consumer. He has to be made aware of the products and systems and educated as to their uses and benefits. There must be packaged systems available for him to carry home, plug in and use. There must be healthy competition among manufacturers and dealers to maintain economical pricing and continuous product improvement.

I don't think we need to have the "perfect solution" as it seems developers and manufacturer's are striving for. None of my examples (Telephone, TV, PC) are perfect or uncomplicated. Instead they have been packaged and marketed so that the average consumer can buy and enjoy them. Once accepted by the consumer, these products have experienced vast improvements because the customers have demanded and provided the money (through purchases) to finance them.

Thus far I have not seen any concerted effort by the major manufacturer's of HA equipment towards marketing of their systems. Instead it is left to the small dealers and suppliers to foot the bill and spend the time to educate customers and promote the products. For Home Automation to catch on this must change. While I am bombarded daily with TV ads for every other gizmo known to man, I have never seen one ad for X10 or any other HA system. Why? Is it a secret? Don't the manufacturers think anyone will pay attention or understand? Are these manufacturer's content with the market as it is?

Whatever the reasons, the Home Automation Industry needs a boost from the Media which in turn needs to have a message to announce. Home Automation won't catch on unless someone lights the fire.

Home Automation and the Internet.

The popularity of the Internet will probably be the greatest boost to Home Automation in the immediate future. At last it's possible for the average consumer to learn about HA without having to know someone who knows of someone who saw a catalog somewhere. There is plenty of information on HA available on the Internet and it's growing at breakneck speed. New products can be displayed and sold throughout the world. Search engines make it possible to find information fast.

There is a problem with too much reliance on the Internet though. The customer has to know that HA exists and be interested enough to search for the information. In other words we still need the established media to get the message out. Once the general public has been made aware of the message through established media then the education and acceptance process can be greatly assisted by the Internet.

Enough already … answer the question … Will Home Automation Catch On?

Home Automation caught on centuries ago. Modern HA systems will only catch on if they are marketed to the average consumer. Until then, us Do It Yourself types are having a heyday with some pretty impressive products. The stuff is here and ready to go … who's going to be the one to make it happen?