Please note: the JRF no longer conducts any research into this area of work. The information provided in this section is kept here for historical purposes.
What the house can do
The use of computer controls allows the home to be operated in a variety of ways. Some of these will be more appropriate to some people than others. Below are a number of examples of the way the home can operate.
Telephone control
The security alarm panel fitted in the hall also operates as an answering machine and can be used to dial into the house and tell it to do certain things. This system relies on a PIN number, similar to the one used at a cash point, to ensure that only you can control the house in this way. It has a series of voice prompts that will guide you through the operation of the house.
- If you are late coming home one evening, you can call the house and get it to close the curtains as it gets dark.
- If you have been away from the house for a few days and want to be sure the house is warm on your return, you can call the house and switch the central heating back on.
This system can also be used to call you at work or on a mobile phone, if somebody rings the doorbell when you are not in the house.
- Friends can speak to you and find out when you will be back so they can arrange to visit again.
- Delivery people can be let into the hallway to drop off parcels. The security alarm will prevent them from going any further into the house.
Integrated security
The home security system can be enhanced because the security alarm is able to communicate with other devices in the home.
- When leaving the house, a single signal from a key fob, similar to those used for car alarms, can turn on the security alarm, close any open windows, and make sure all the doors are locked.
- When coming home, the same key fob can turn off the security alarm, open the front (or back) door, and switch on the hallway light.
- If you are away from home for a few days, the security alarm can tell the curtains to open or close in the morning and evening and also turn some of the lights on and off during the night to make it look as if the house is still occupied.
Safety systems
- If there is a gas leak, or if a ring on the cooker blows out, detectors in the house will identify this and turn the gas off at the mains. The house will sound an alarm to warn you of this and also disconnect the light switches, so that they cannot be used accidentally and cause a spark.
- In case of fire, the smoke and heat
detectors in each room will activate the fire alarm. The system
can then do any or all of the following:
- Call the fire brigade or a care centre, giving details of the alarm automatically.
- Flash all the lights in the house and sound a siren.
- Turn lights on, if it is dark, to guide you to the exits.
- Unlock the outside doors - if someone is in the house - to aid a safe and speedy exit.
Independent living
Integrating the control of the house with some additional devices can make it easier for some people to live independently at home.
- To assist people who need to use a wheelchair, the house can be equipped with motors to raise and lower cupboards and sinks. For example, if you wanted to make a hot drink the remote control in the lounge could be used to lower the wall cupboard or sink so that they were in the most suitable position when you came into the kitchen. When you finished, they could move back into their normal position, which may be more suitable for other people in the house.
- If you regularly get up in the night, the house can use its motion detectors to identify this and gently turn on the lights in the bedroom for you, minimising the risk of you tripping and falling. It could then light up the way to other rooms, such as the bathroom or kitchen, and turn the lights out when you return to bed.
Making life easier
Aspects of routine daily life and chores can be automated.
- When you wake up in the morning, you can push a control by the bed that turns the bedroom light and television on, starts the shower or bath running, opens the downstairs curtains and switches on the kettle.
- When sitting down in the evening to watch television, a single button on the remote control can turn the set on, draw the curtains and dim the lights.
