Dreams and Visions.

This is about living with technology and what I dream to accomplish.

First and foremost, for those of you who follow this blog: I’m working on blueprints, specifications etc. Both fun and inspiring but time-consuming. It’s not easy getting all ideas on print without it just seeming like chaos. Today I will write about the possibility’s a smart house can have. I will also deal with some of the questions that arise. When does technology become stress instead of comfort? Please give me your input, thoughts and ideas on the matter. I would also like to point out that this is just a mere scratch on the surface. Something of an eye-opener for those of you not so used to technology. More important though: the smartest solutions are the ones you never notice. They do what they are supposed to without any fuss. That is to me truly smart!

These are some possible scenarios, some simple and doable today; some may need a little future tweaking. You will get the picture.

Imagine the following: You arrive home after work in your car. The house senses that you are coming (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth etc.), and asks if you want to turn of the alarm if no other family member is present. If, for instance, your wife is already at home, the house informs you of this and opens the garage. If you are the first to arrive home you turn of the alarm using your smartphone, car PC or the cars media center. The house then puts on music to your liking, streaming it from the home server, internet radio, radio, spotify etc. If it’s dark out the house turns on lamps that you have preselected. You could even have the house put on coffee. Your home computer automatically turns on and synchronizes with your smartphone, and schedule changes? New photos? Everything in the house can be controlled by your smartphone, tablets, Apple and/or PC: s and color touchscreen control panels in every room. You can also access the house via internet etc. You could even control the house using your smart TV! This example is fairly easy to accomplish today!

Another scenario: You’re away for the weekend with your wife/spouse. Your teenage son/daughter is home alone. Could be a worrying situation. Just log on to the house with you smartphone, over the internet etc. and check the surveillance cams. Is he/she having a party? If you have a smaller child who is watching TV in his/her room for a while when its bedtime. Just dim the lights over a period of time then shut of the TV from the house remote. If you have a babysitter: is he/she behaving? Naturally this raises questions! Is it really okay to spy on people? I don’t think so. Others might find it an excellent idea. I think surveillance can be good. Sometimes even really good or even lifesaving. What if, for instance, you are having a break in? The house alerts the authority and the calls you to let you know. Both you and the authority can get the exact location of the burglar and see exactly what is going on.

If you are watching a movie and someone rings the door, you can get the picture from the high resolution, full color CCTV entry phone. Talk to the person and let him/her in (unless it’s a salesmanJ) without ever leaving the couch.

If you’re driving with your children, maybe it’s quite a distance? Let the enjoy internet, movies, games in the backseat. With separate touchscreens and wireless headphones. Meanwhile you can enjoy music.

The house can sense if somebody else is present when you get home, if not it can light up the house, if necessary, and, for instance, play music of your choice. If your wife is also at home the house knows this and plays music that you both like, turn on the lights you both agreed on etc.

Two way communication with audio and video is accessible everywhere; the house control panels, smartphone (naturallyJ), tablets etc. Even in the car and motorcycle. Page anyone anywhere with audio and video. Honey, stop working on the car, dinner is ready. Or have long conversations.

The house can ventilate when nobody’s home. Windows can be closed automatically if it starts to rain. Curtains can be pulled if the sun is really bright and it’s getting warm. If you can come up with it it’s most likely doable. This is a good example of smart, comfortable technology. It’s also a good example of green thinking since the house controls all aspects of indoor climate and reacts on it. Unless you tell it otherwise.

All computers, smartphones, tablets etc. gets updated, backed up etc. automatically. Basically all the maintenance is automatically handled in the background. Hopefully you won’t even notice it happening. Computers that are turned off wakes up for backups when nobody’s home or using them. No more windows need to restart in order for the update, wait a minute cause the PlayStation needs to update etc. I bet you would appreciate this one right? J

I actually don’t know how smart an internet connected fridge is, or can be. But it would be nice if it could keep track of and remind you of purchases etc. For example if someone “accidently” ate some of the ingredients for tonight’s dinner.

It could be really helpful to get an easy understandable presentation of all aspects of the houses energy consumption. Even down to any single electrical outlet. On your smartphone, one of the control panels, your computer etc. Another example of using technology for environmentally friendly thinking. Print it out monthly and see exactly what all those electrical bills are paying for.

Except for smartphones, computers and internet, the house can also be controlled by full color, touchscreen control panels in every room. No more where’s the remote? Which remote? You can control everything from anywhere; page a family member in another room or another state. Access and change or add to shopping lists or schedules. Who is doing what and where? And off cause play music and movies.

If you’re on a diet: you can sync the fridge, your Wi-Fi bathroom scale, the workout program on your gaming console and the step counter on your smartphone. There is no escape!   J

Follow your progress on weekly diagrams, share on the internet or create a workout group with your friends on facebook. Log on from your smartphone from the restaurant and find out if you deserve dessert? J

A relatively simple but oh so nice feature: Put the hose in “sleep mode” when it’s time to go to bed. With just the press of one button. All the lights turn of as well as electrical outlets and so on. No more I forgot to turn off the lights in the garage etc. No appliances, TV’s etc. in standby mode, if it’s not necessary. Backups and maintenance handled automatically in zones where it does not disturb. In the same way you can have the house wake up automatically or manually. Make coffee, some easy morning music, check your email etc. You get my point.

This is another good example of comfortable and environmentally friendly use of technology.

Is you feel like sauna when u get home from work, log on and turn it on before you leave work or on your way home. Internet, smartphone, by now I’m sure you know.

Where did I put my mobile phone or my tablet? Let the house show you. Could also be good for finding keys, if you actually had to use them. J

If you are using hands free while talking on the phone, you could have the sound coming from the stereos speakers. You could even have it following you around the house if you want it to. Naturally this regards video calls etc. as well.

This one is obvious: naturally the house can play music in all zones in sync. Background music at a party for instance.

Bee a pain in the neck and ask all your friends to fill out a web questionnaire before they come to dinner the next time. Who likes/dislikes what food? Who is allergic and to what? Music preferences? Then let them judge your cooking, music selection and so on. Soon you will have an extensive database, know what dishes your friends liked and if they liked the music. Maybe you should have catering instead of cooking yourself? Maybe hire a DJ? J

Maybe you will be the party king/queen of the neighborhood?