16.06.2010 - Technology

Home automation technology comes of age

In his futuristic novel Gridiron, written in 1995, the British author Philip Kerr envisions a new high-rise building in Los Angeles filled to the brim with automated technology. In the story, the computer-controlled gadgetry develops a life of its own and turns against its users. A horror fantasy, of course, but the book did give a fairly accurate prediction of what is now possible in terms of building automation and smart homes technology. The author quotes Walter Gropius when proclaiming: “We want an architecture adapted to our world of machines, radios and fast cars…” In fact, the latest offerings in state-of-the-art home technology presented at this year’s Light+Building exhibition in Frankfurt, exceed much of what Philip Kerr envisaged in 1995. Homes are increasingly becoming highly sophisticated systems that can be operated remotely via a smartphone.

One of the prerequisites for this kind of overarching control system for the many different functionalities in the home is to have harmonised standards. During the 1980s, and even earlier, various different bus systems started to emerge across Europe. In order to bring these in line with each other, the European Installation Bus Association (EIBA) was set up in Brussels in 1990, and its branch, the Konnex Association (KNX), a short time later. Today the KNX is represented in more than twenty countries, has around 200 members and 20,000 KNX partners in 101 countries, and has become the worldwide standard to guarantee interoperability and system compatibility for all types of communication media. It provides the basis for home automation products from different manufacturers and with entirely different functionalities to talk to each other and be operated via one central control system. “Comfort” is the word that aptly sums up the range of home automation systems on offer today. With its Comfort Center 9“, the Berker GmbH & Co KG from Schalksmühle in North Rhine-Westphalia, has developed an innovative touch panel that enables intuitive home systems control without the need for complex instruction manuals. The device controls temperature and indoor climate, blinds and shutters, lighting and ambience, alarm and security systems, showing all the main devices and their energy use at a glance. It combines all this with a video memo function, email, RSS, a weather module, and doubles up as a mirror. The smart-looking frame slides back at a gentle touch, revealing USB and SD ports that allow the user to upload their holiday snaps or plug the device into the wireless broadband. And thanks to its integrated camera, microphone and speaker it also functions as video intercom and can record video messages for visitors or other members of the household.

Other manufacturers offer similar touch panels for smart home control systems, all based on the KNX standard. The panel developed by Gira, a design-oriented manufacturer from Radevormwald, also in North Rhine-Westphalia, comes with the Gira Interface App for iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. So the entire home automation system can be operated remotely via GSM, 3G or WiFi. Communication is routed via the Gira HomeServer 3 or the FacilityServer. The touchscreen-optimised Gira Interface (designed by schmitz Visuelle Kommunikation, Wuppertal) displays all devices clearly and at a glance, allowing quick and effortless access to the control functions. The screen mode can be set to landscape or portrait and the user control panel can accommodate up to four different profiles, for example, an internal and an external setting. The iPhone apps will be available from August 2010, exclusively from the Apple App Store. And, having used it to operate your home controls while on the move, once you’re home you can simply plug your smartphone into one of the latest MP3 docking stations. The Albrecht Jung GmbH & Co KG, for example, offers modules that can be flush-mounted to the wall, similar to a light switch. The system consists of a docking station for MP3-player, iPod or iPhone, several different line-out ports and an integrated charger with mini USB connection. It can be operated via infrared remote control or via controls on the device itself. The speakers can be wall-mounted in two additional modules or placed freely anywhere in the room. Trip hazards and messy cable clutter will be a thing of the past once all sockets, connections and interfaces are planned from the outset and integrated into every new building design. For example, Berker’s modular multimedia socket system, available from October 2010, provides sockets for all standard multimedia interfaces. Also from October 2010, Gira can supply its USB power socket with 1,400 mA or twice 700 mA to charge mobile phones, cameras and MP3 players without the need for a whole host of separate chargers. All of this will ensure that communication and media technology will become much more user-friendly in the near future. W.O. Geberzahn More information: http://www.knx.org http://www.knx.org http://www.gira.de http://www.gira.de http://www.berker.com http://www.berker.com http://www.jung-tkm.de http://www.jung-tkm.de