Instrumentation in Home Automation

Home Automation and Instrumentation

Just imagine while playing game on your tab or mobile you want to check how many appliances are in use at your home or office or anywhere and not only that you can also control them with just a tap on your screen.

Don't learn SCADA or PLC is my suggestion to all young engineers out there believe you me .... besides i would suggest you all to sharpen your microcontroller programming and develop embedded systems.

Rapid changes have taken place in the field of science and technology in the past few decades. In many ways, new technology has bridged the gap to meet the requirements of today’s fast paced world. One of them is automation which has greatly changed the way the world works today.

The very first process of automation began with factories and buildings, mainly focusing on the security systems, monitoring and access control. However, this was restricted to the commercial sector only with such facilities available only at hotels, hospitals, industries and large commercial complexes. The start of the century saw a sharp focus on methods of saving energy, where automation was seen as a great way of utilizing energy in an optimal manner. Automation not only helped in using energy in a better way but also in monitoring energy consumption, thus helping curb wastage of energy. With major advancements in technology most automation techniques used only for buildings can now be used for home automation as well. Home automation literally runs a home automatically along with taking care of comfort and security. Most systems are easy to install and operate, thus encouraging people to adopt automation and participate in the national energy saving mission.

Considering how automation could cut down on electricity bills, it’s definitely a wise investment. Automation is already a part of our life. From using the remote for TV, AC and curtain rollers to the security system, automation is being used in many aspects of our life. Thus we need to understand how home automation helps in cutting down the energy usage in the house. And if we need home automation, what are the critical factors to pick the right solution.

First, what all it brings? The list is endless, so is the solution. For instance, an automated lighting system uses sensors to turn lights on or off depending on the presence or absence of people. So there is no end to automation solutions available to make the house comfortable and energy friendly.






However, I would like to pull your attention to a much higher level, so suitable solutions can be evaluated, if you weigh the solutions on the following criteria-

- Save Energy
- Comfort
- Enable Security
- Reduce the digital storage cost & redundancy
- Future Readiness

Second, what are the critical factors to pick the right solution? For this one must understand that automation is not a product rather it is a solution and as customizable as kids building a structure with a pack of blocks. Thus automation is a solution that can be incorporated as per your understanding, need, and interest.

Considering this, it is important to map major objective for today’s need. Automation systems are an integral part of your electrical and other home structure designs. Although, it might be a costly affair and may not even be completely feasible considering the change impact. It is definitely a solution that needs to be discussed and built with your needs and scalability playing a major role, and a deciding factor in gauging your investment.