Unity Systems was a home automation company that was based in Redwood City, California and was formed in 1983. [1] In 1985, Unity Systems released the Unity Home Manager which was one of the earliest home automation systems as well as one of the most successful systems. It featured a green monochrome touchscreen display with options such as temperature settings, floor plans, lighting control, the sprinkler system, HVAC control, security and general maintenance settings. [2] [3] The Unity Home Manager was sold by a dealer network which consisted of small, and dedicated companies, with around 90 dealers across the United States at a point in time. Unity systems closed its doors in 1999. [1]
Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes. Human intervention is reduced by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions — and embodying those predeterminations in machines.
Home automation or domotics is building automation for a home, called a smart home or smart house. A home automation system will monitor and/or control home attributes such as lighting, climate, entertainment systems, and appliances. It may also include home security such as access control and alarm systems. When connected with the Internet, home devices are an important constituent of the Internet of Things ("IoT").
Zigbee is an IEEE 802.15.4-based specification for a suite of high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks with small, low-power digital radios, such as for home automation, medical device data collection, and other low-power low-bandwidth needs, designed for small scale projects which need wireless connection. Hence, Zigbee is a low-power, low data rate, and close proximity wireless ad hoc network.
Mechatronics, which is also called mechatronics engineering is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the engineering of electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, computer, telecommunications, systems, control, and product engineering. As technology advances over time, various subfields of engineering have succeeded in both adapting and multiplying. The intention of mechatronics is to produce a design solution that unifies each of these various subfields. Originally, the field of mechatronics was intended to be nothing more than a combination of mechanics and electronics, hence the name being a portmanteau of mechanics and electronics; however, as the complexity of technical systems continued to evolve, the definition had been broadened to include more technical areas.
HVAC equipment needs a control system to regulate the operation of a heating and/or air conditioning system. Usually a sensing device is used to compare the actual state with a target state. Then the control system draws a conclusion what action has to be taken.
LonWorks is a networking platform specifically created to address the needs of control applications. The platform is built on a protocol created by Echelon Corporation for networking devices over media such as twisted pair, powerlines, fiber optics, and RF. It is used for the automation of various functions within buildings such as lighting and HVAC; see building automation.
Rockwell Automation, Inc., is an American provider of industrial automation and information technology. Brands include Allen-Bradley and FactoryTalk software.
Schneider ElectricSE is a European multinational company providing energy and automation digital products for efficiency and sustainability. It addresses homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure and industries, by combining energy technologies, real-time automation, software and services. The company has operations in over 100 countries and employs 135,000+ people.
Insteon is a home automation (domotics) technology that enables light switches, lights, thermostats, leak sensors, remote controls, motion sensors, and other electrically powered devices to interoperate through power lines, radio frequency (RF) communications, or both. It employs a dual-mesh networking topology in which all devices are peers and each device independently transmits, receives, and repeats messages. Like other home automation systems, it has been associated with the Internet of Things.
Z-Wave is a wireless communications protocol used primarily for home automation. It is a mesh network using low-energy radio waves to communicate from appliance to appliance, allowing for wireless control of residential appliances and other devices, such as lighting control, security systems, thermostats, windows, locks, swimming pools and garage door openers. Like other protocols and systems aimed at the home and office automation market, a Z-Wave system can be controlled via the Internet from a smart phone, tablet or computer, and locally through a smart speaker, wireless keyfob, or wall-mounted panel with a Z-Wave gateway or central control device serving as both the hub controller and portal to the outside. Z-Wave provides the application layer interoperability between home control systems of different manufacturers that are a part of its alliance. There are a growing number of interoperable Z-Wave products; over 1,700 in 2017, and over 2,600 by 2019.
Lagotek was a privately held company specializing in home automation. It was founded in 2005 by four former Microsoft employees and it is located in Bellevue, WA. Lagotek developed Home Intelligence Platform (HIP) technology. The 4 founders of Lagotek are Eugene Luskin, Alex Grach, David Kizhnerman and Lev Tcherkachine,
The Internet of things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects—“things” or objects—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet.
Founded in 1993 by ex-Microsoft development manager David Snipp Stardraw is a company that makes audio/visual system integration and design software.
Control4 is a provider of automation and networking systems for homes and businesses, offering a personalized and unified smart home system to automate and control connected devices including lighting, audio, video, climate control, intercom, and security. The Control4 platform interoperates with more than 13,500 third-party products and is available in over 100 countries. As of August 2018, it manages 370,000 homes. The company is based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Control4 was a publicly traded company from 2013 until 2019, when it merged with SnapAV.
Vivint Smart Home, Inc. is a public smart home company in the United States and Canada. It was founded by Keith Nellesen and Todd Pedersen in 1999. Vivint delivers an integrated smart home system with in-home consultation, professional installation and support delivered by its Smart Home Pros, as well as 24/7 customer care and monitoring.
Vector Security, Inc. is the fourth largest electronic security company in the United States. They provide commercial and residential electronic mobile security and automation solutions, video surveillance, access control, and fire and intrusion protection across the United States and Canada. Through Vector Security Networks, a division of Vector Security, Inc., they also provide managed network services to multi-site businesses. The corporate office is located in Warrendale, Pennsylvania.
HomeSeer Technologies LLC is a technology company based in Bedford, New Hampshire, in the United States. HomeSeer makes home automation controllers and software, designed to integrate lighting, HVAC, security, AV and other subsystems in most homes. Additionally, the company maintains an online store of compatible home automation products and a free online community forum for users and dealers.
The industrial internet of things (IIoT) refers to interconnected sensors, instruments, and other devices networked together with computers' industrial applications, including manufacturing and energy management. This connectivity allows for data collection, exchange, and analysis, potentially facilitating improvements in productivity and efficiency as well as other economic benefits. The IIoT is an evolution of a distributed control system (DCS) that allows for a higher degree of automation by using cloud computing to refine and optimize the process controls.
Home Assistant is free and open-source home automation software designed to be the central control system for smart home devices with focus on local control and privacy. It can be accessed via a web-based user interface, via companion apps for Android and iOS, or using voice commands via a supported virtual assistant like Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa.
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