IS YOUR HOME SMART?

What was once a futuristic fantasy is now reality—smart homes are making our lives simpler and more fun.

By Sam Micatrotto

Once upon a time, the idea of smart homes and flying cars was a futuristic vision. However, with the rapid advancements in technology, that future is now here. Smart homes are becoming increasingly popular as people seek to simplify their lives and make their homes more convenient. With the help of digital assistants like Amazon Alexa, homeowners can control appliances, thermostats, lights, and other devices remotely using a smartphone, tablet or even their voice–all you need is an internet connection. Homeowners can make opening and closing heavy windows and doors effortless by implementing automation systems with Summit Automation. The possibilities are endless, and with the right devices and digital assistant, we can make our homes smarter and our lives easier.

As the world of smart homes continues to evolve, so, too, should our expectations of what they can do for us. Delos is one company that is leading the way in creating innovative smart home solutions that go beyond just convenience. Delos is reinventing how living spaces enhance human health by creating environments that nurture well-being with science-backed innovations. Through advanced air purification, water filtration, lighting solutions and enhanced sleep systems, alongside mental health and wellness strategies, Delos is helping transform the entire experience of a healthier home.

For example, Delos has developed the DARWIN Home Wellness Intelligence Network, which uses sensors and machine learning to optimize indoor air quality, lighting and other factors to promote health and wellness. Using proprietary software, wellness algorithms and sensor technologies, DARWIN is designed to help enhance energy, sleep and overall well-being, and reduce indoor contaminants that negatively affect respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and cognitive health by monitoring and calibrating air, water and light quality. The system has been engineered to integrate seamlessly into existing smart home and smart assistant platforms, or to stand alone in cases where smart home technology is not installed in the home. This technology is a game-changer for home automation, as it can now improve your family’s health by controlling environments.

Nowadays everything is controlled with an app from your smartphone, so why should your smart home be any different? Crestron Home OS is another tool that can improve various aspects of wellness in a smart home, including sleep, energy, mood, emotional and physical health, by controlling lighting, acoustics, temperature and water quality. But health isn’t its only strength. Crestron Home OS simplifies the complex, makes the monotonous automatic and the tedious quick. With a tap, you can watch content and play video games on any TV, listen to your favorite streaming service or playlist throughout the house, and control every aspect of your Crestron smart home.

It also provides peace of mind for homeowners with continuous system feedback on their mobile device in which you can confirm the status of door locks and alarms, the exact positions of gates and garages, and real-time views of cameras. And if that wasn’t enough, the app allows you to control lighting, shades, pool and spa and virtually anything else.

Smart home technology is a bit more than fancy bells and whistles, it provides homeowners with convenience, cost savings, and security, or in other words, a well-connected home. Home automation can transform your living space into a smart home. It also helps consumers improve efficiency; instead of leaving the air conditioning on all day, a smart home system can learn behaviors and make sure the house is cooled down by the time homeowners arrive home from work. The same goes for appliances. With a smart irrigation system, the system can learn the homeowner’s schedules and make adjustments as needed. With a single button press, the room’s lights dim, the shades close, the TV turns on, and your movie begins. Smart homes can be set up through wireless or hardwired systems, and devices are connected with each other and can be accessed through one central point, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or game console.

Acoustic Designs Group (ADG), a Scottsdale-based company, offers smart home automation systems that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of your home, from security systems to whole house energy management giving you total control from any room. Talk about the ultimate home upgrade.

The number of people who work from home tripled from 2019 to 2021, according to the US Census Bureau, and this drastic increase of in-home-based workers has also had a direct impact on the development and production of technologies that can help supplement the in-office experiences. Popular remote work tools like Microsoft Teams, Slack and Zoom have helped take working from home from a necessity to the new normal. However, for a more advanced work from home experience, Crestron Flex takes it to the next level. Crestron Flex video conferencing systems bring one consistent Microsoft Teams experience to every space, from small huddle rooms to large boardrooms. With Crestron Flex, you can easily navigate your day with a superior level of options, performance, and onetouch control to join, manage or launch a meeting—talk about a smart home (office).