As a new decade descends upon us, it's time - even for the most technologically hesitant one of us to accept what the future means for us - a life completely intertwined with science, gadgets and technology. Everything from the way we consume data, to helping us make important financial, career and life decisions, technology has successfully permeated into every intimate aspect of human lives. This unmistakably also means our homes as well. The second half of the last decade witnessed the conception and then the subsequent surge of the smart home - a home that anticipates all your needs, with almost a mind of its own.

As magical as it sounds, the smart home phenomenon is very cleverly rooted in an intricate network of technology and home allied gadgets. Let's first understand what a smart home is.

WHAT IS A SMART HOME?

By definition, a smart home is a residence that uses devices connected to the internet, to enable the remote monitoring and management of appliances and systems all across the house, such as lighting, heating and even home safety. This is a home, with the ease of living fueled by technology that makes every operation just a click away. Popularly, most of it is handled by artificial intelligence, with every action dictated with one spoken command. However, smart homes also function with setups like lighting, heating, televisions are linked to your cellular device. The concept belongs to the Internet of Things collective, where systems and devices operate together, intending to smooth all home running functions.

Another subcategory of the smart home is home automation. While not entirely different in its goals, the two differ in their implementation. In practice, home automation is an enabler for a smart home. In this setup, your home is equipped with gadgets and devices that manage the daily functioning of the household. The way a smart home differs is, that gadgets are essential 'smart' enough to sense your needs and requirements. With the use of microprocessors, sensors and specially developed programmes and software, these gadgets almost control your home autonomously.

HOW DOES A SMART HOME HELP YOU?

Investing in devices and tech that build your smart home is expensive. So before you venture into this nearly irreversible commitment, it's important to understand the significance of a smart home in your life.

Owning a smart home can be like living with an extremely intelligent and perceptive man Friday. If you're worried about leaving the door unlocked, or the geyser turned on, even after you leave home, a smart home will automatically sense it and eliminate the hazard before it blows up.

Advanced Safety and Security

Regular Indian homes have about one or two layers of security, once someone gets past the main society gate. A smart home senses your footsteps and breathing pattern and is sensitive to human presence. If an intruder enters your house, you will be immediately alerted, even if you are not in your home, giving you plenty of time to call reinforcement. Knowing your home is lined with smart devices might also act as a deterrent for burglars, as they lack the technological sophistication that is needed to crack through a smart home.

Smart homes are also increasingly safe for a growing child in the house. From being able to manage all your devices with just one click, you can control what electronic device is active near your little one. Smart home controls the hypothetical on and off switch for all gadgets at home, you can rest assured that heaters and chimneys will be turned off when your little one is home alone.

Ease of Living

The most important aspect of living in a smart home is the easy access to everything around your house, that amplifies your ease of living. It takes a lot of the responsibilities off your hands without completely losing control. From your smart fridge sensing that your milk is over and placing the order for the new one, to your washing machine working without prompting, your life at home is made seamless, with the help of smart gadgets.

With the introduction of AI boxes like Google Home or Amazon's Echo, most of these house duties are now easily controlled by just a voice command. Another big hit is the iRobot's Roomba Vacuum Cleaner that senses dust and cleans it before you even notice. Everything from your television to your air conditioning can be controlled by you, seated in one place.

Upping your Home's Oomph and Glam Quotient

Lining your home with nordic style tech gizmos lets you elevate the look from homely to straight-up swanky. From a stylish and efficient entertainment unit to a spotless house, a smart home is a home meant for admiration.

SMART HOMES IN INDIA

While smart homes are an effortless reality in the West, India is still adjusting to the concept - incorporating into its home buying needs. Young millennials buying homes in Indian metropolitans are looking for cutting edge technology that complements their lifestyle and makes the ease of running their household less tedious. Indian Developers are increasingly supplying homes, that are in tandem to such demands. Given the slump that has crept into Indian Realty of late, developers have indulged the whims of Indian homebuyers, offering a wide variety of home automation facilities in their newly constructed houses.

Prominent real estate giants like DLF, Godrej Properties, and Oberoi Realty are all wooing homebuyers with the promise of eco-buildings, with smart homes that guarantee better living. A recent Reuters story reports that apartment complexes with their oxygen generators are immensely popular in Delhi, while high-end luxury homes in Mumbai offer streamlined amenities that equip home units to transition into a smart home.

However, it is a misconception that these smart homes are limited to the luxury retail section only. Mid-range and affordable homes too are equally loaded, in terms of the amenities being offered alongside. As homes are mushrooming at a fast pace in IT hubs like Pune, Navi Mumbai, pricing for these smart homes are competitive too. Be whatever your budget, any version of the smart home, is a 'must-have'.

SMART HOME TECH TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2020

2020 is pegged to be the year of groundbreaking innovation and foresight. Years of research, study and experimentation are bound to culminate into home solutions that make our lives easier. Let's take a look at what 2020 has in store for science and tech at home.

Primary Healthcare, now a Finger Snap away

What is being slated as a revolutionary line of innovations in home and healthcare, is the set of gadgets that now let you monitor your health, within your own home. These smart gadgets work to prevent basic trips to your general physician by ensuring that your home environment - starting from the air you breathe, to the food you consume, is clean and healthy for your body.

Some AIs are slated to even alert caregivers if there is a crisis with an ill family member.

Gadgets like Apple's smartwatch or Fitbit allows you to monitor every aspect of your physical exertion, starting from footsteps to heart rate to water intake. Synching these gadgets to your AI allows you to catch any irregularity before it gets worse.

Gizmos like air purifiers help maintain a pristine environment inside the house, reducing the chances of respiratory diseases.

2. Faster Internet Connectivity

With the rollout of the 5g data network and possibly even faster spectrums, internet connectivity will see an improvement of a grand scale. Faster Internet would mean better connectivity, translating to better functioning of all your smart gadgets.

3. Robotic Assistance at Home

Sure, it sounds far fetched for some, but so did the idea of mobile phones. The future has never been shy of groundbreaking interactive technology, and it doesn't get more personal than interactions with a robot. International magazine Forbes claims that 2020 is the year, robots will be making their way into our homes.

Their initial introduction into the domestic framework was through robotic vacuum cleaners, and even lawnmowers, but the magazine deems LG's CLOi range and Trifo's Lucy to be big game changers, in the domestic technology market. These companies offer friendly robots, designed for domestic households. With the nimbleness to take care of your daily chores and tasks, not only are you left with plenty of free time to focus on productive activities, but it also eliminates the chances of human mistakes that could occur, ensuring that every task is carried out seamlessly with clinical precision.

4. The Boon of Standardization

One of the biggest hurdles anyone faces with smart home technology is the standardization. Every company manufactures its technology with a certain standard - be it the way it syncs, or how accessible it is. Take, for example, Apple products - which are known increasingly for being best compatible only with other Apple products, almost arm wrestling a consumer to opt only for their products.

The lack of standardization means a homeowner will have to manually look into each gadget, constantly attending to it and regulating its functions. Standardization would make all smart home technology in your home, line up on one platform, from which you can control it the way you like.

2020 has seen an increasing trend of manufacturers opt for collective standardization. The recent news of Apple, Google and Amazon teaming up to create one platform of standardization is heartening to the idea of smart home security. By streamlining everything to one platform, smart home solutions are now more simple, and more accessible.

WHO CAN HELP YOU SET UP YOUR SMART HOME?

The internet, as helpful as it is, can also be a daunting place, overwhelmingly full of information. Knowing where to start is a big step forward. Dwello has curated a list of smart home tech vendors, based in India who can help you select, streamline, and install these devices in your home, and are also present for post-sales service. Take a look, your smart home is awaiting your arrival.

• Smartify
• Z Wave, India
• SmartHome NX