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Imagine a home that responds to your every whim: "Open the pod bay doors, HAL."
While this kind of interaction between man and machine may have once been the stuff of sci-fi movies (think the 1968 classic "2001: A Space Odyssey"), nowadays home automation is more grounded in fact than fiction.
If you ever get an invite to Bill Gates' house, you'll be given a pin with a microchip in it that adjusts the lighting, sound and temperature in any room of the house to your personal preferences the moment you walk in. Digital displays will only show your favourite artwork and only the phone nearest to you will ring, all thanks to this pin.
In 1998, cybernetics professor Kevin Warwick skipped the wearable pin idea all together and planted an RFID (Radio-frequency identification) chip under his skin that manipulated any computer-controlled device at his home or office within his proximity, including lights, doors and heaters.
But the good news is you don't need to be a billionaire or a human cyborg to automate your home. In fact Canadians are turning their houses into smart homes at a faster rate than our American neighbours. A survey from home automation company Vivint (with offices in Utah, Calgary and Minnesota) reveals that 54 per cent of their new Canadian customers are adding smart home features to their security systems, compared to 48 per cent in the United States.
If you're looking to add yourself among those ranks, a good place to start would be Home Concepts, Inc. The Calgary-based company has won awards for their automated home theatre systems, some going for as much as US$133,000. If anyone knows the possibilities and pitfalls of home automation, they certainly do.
Automatic for the people
Automation is becoming more and more democratic these days, as it becomes more affordable and well within the reach of the average person. "What I tell people is, the easier a system is to use the more expensive it is," says PJ Aucoin, partner and sales manager for Home Concepts. "We specialize in the medium to large system designs and installations, but systems can definitely be affordable for the average person. There just aren't as many bells and whistles and it becomes a little harder to operate."
For example, your basic system includes the most rudimentary multi-room distribution where the client could listen to four different sources in four different rooms and control the volume from four different keypads, while the top-line system incorporates automation in HVAC, lighting, security, irrigation and security cameras. HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) distribution and iPhone and iPad control are also becoming must-haves.
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