Repetition: In this mind map we are giving you an overview of all the contents of this course. Simply click through the branches of this graphic to repeat the contents.
Mind Map @Mindomo
Smart home definition
A residence equipped with a high-tech network, linking sensors and domestic devices, appliances, and features that can be remotely monitored, accessed or controlled, providing services that respond to the needs of its inhabitants.
Meanings of Home
A controlled and secured space
A site of activity and practice
A place for relationships and continuity
An expression of identity and values
Purpose of Smart Home
Enhance lifestyle and domestic life by improving convenience, security, entertainment, health care, energy efficiency, and communication + it enables a longer independent life at home
Smart Home devices
Energy efficiency
Home security
Health
Entertainment and communication
Automation and comfort
Improve your life
Health-related benefits
Increased comfort and automation
Increased safety
Entertainment related benefits
Improvements 1: Health-related benefits
Health-related benefits
Smart watches to monitor exercise or sleep
SOS button to reach out to emergency services
Medical visits to a doctor via app
Improvements 2: Increased comfort and automation
Control devices with your smartphone (e.g. coffee maker, heating, blinds, lights)
Voice assistance to control smart home devices (e.g. controlling your temperature via your voice assistance such as Alexa)
More free time (e.g. using a cleaning or grass cutting robot)
Improvements 3: Increased safety
SOS button to reach out to emergency services
Reinforces security of your home (e.g. through the use of cameras, alarms, motion sensors)
Improvements 4: Entertainment related benefits
User request to obtain news (e.g. ask Alexa about the weather, or to search for a given information on the internet, or to play a specific song)
Make voice and video calls (e.g. ask Alexa to call friends & family)
Potential Challenges using smart home technology
Understand your automation needs
Reasons for technological resistance
Management of smart home devices
Privacy and data protection
Sensitive data
Challenge 1: Home Automation
Home automation definition: Home automation is a network of hardware, communication, and electronic interfaces that work to integrate everyday devices with one another via the internet. For example, devices can be connected through WIFI, so you can manage them from your smartphone (Xfinity, 2019).
Degree of automation: The required degree of automation depends on your personal needs.
Challenge 2: technological resistance
One challenge of smart homes for seniors is their tendency to smart home resistance:
Uncertainty of the benefits of smart home devices
Lack of experience with smart home devices
Fear oftechnology
Lack of information and knowledge about technology
Lack of trust in technology
Challenge 3: Managing smart home devices
System Configuration
Setting of Devices
Control of alarms
Challenge 4: security and data protection
Data security: Data security involves putting in place specific controls, standard policies, and procedures to protect data from a range of issues: unauthorised access, accidental loss, or destruction (Mustoe, 2019)
Cyber security: The state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this (Oxford, 2020)
Data protection: Data security involves putting in place specific controls, standard policies, and procedures to protect data from a range of issues: unauthorised access, accidental loss, or destruction (Mustoe, 2019)
Tips to protect your smart home
Since smart homes are not perfect there are certain things you should take into account when you plan you smart home.
technical weaknesses of your devices
storing personal data in the cloud
authentication
Updates
sensitive data
Tip 1: Dealing with technical weaknesses
Your devices can have certain technical weaknesses. In order to avoid buying such products google the device before buying it. Also sometimes certain technical weaknesses cannot be avoided but again it is vital you know the pros and cons of your devices and you can take measures to alleviate them.
Tip 2: Secure passwords/modern encryption technology
Choose secure passwords when storing personal data in the cloud
Cloud computing
The practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer (Oxford, 2020)
Use modern data encryption technology
Encryption
The process of converting information or data into a code, especially to prevent unauthorized access (Oxford, 2020)
Tip 3: Two-factor authentication/Multi-factor authentication
Check if there is a two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication option
Two factor authentication
A security mechanism that requires two types of credentials for authentication and is designed to provide an additional layer of validation, minimizing security breaches (Technopedia, 2020)
Multi-factor authentication
A security mechanism in which individuals are authenticated through more than one required security and validation procedure. MFA is built from a combination of physical, logical and biometric validation techniques used to secure a facility, product or service (Technopedia, 2020)
Tip 4: Constantly install updates
Software updates
Software updates are released to address security issues when they occur, address minor bugs discovered in the software, improve the operation of hardware or peripherals, and to add support for new models of equipment. These small, incremental updates improve the operation of your software (Elmblad, 2020)
Software upgrade
A software upgrade is a new version of the software that offers a significant change or major improvement over your current version. In many cases, a software upgrade requires the purchase of the new version of the software, sometimes at a discounted price if you own an older version of the software (Elmblad, 2020)
Tip 5: Take your devices afterlife into account
Before disposing or selling delete all sensitive data from your devices
Pros and cons
Smart Homes are not perfect. They have pros and they have cons. Most cons can be avoided when you make sure to take your wants and needs into consideration when building a smart home.
Check out the pros and cons of smart homes in detail by clicking on the two connected branches!
Pros of Smart Home devices
More comfort
More security
Living independently at home
Reduce energy consumption
More convenient entertainment
Suitable for a wide range of household needs
Enhanced health care
Cons of Smart Home devices
Defining the right scope/extent of creating an autonomous system at home
