For those who don't know, ABB is one of the largest engineering companies in the world and is considered a world leader in the fields of power and automation.
At the recent IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, they unveiled a voice-activated home automation system to keep their one-year-old son company. “Free at home” smart home offer. The company claims that it is one of the most advanced voice-activated systems in the world.
We take a look at what it is and what it can do for you.
Free @ Home launched last year and was the company's attempt to bring its automation expertise to the mainstream consumer market.
The system is designed to be able to control all aspects of a modern smart home. 5 YouTube Videos To Get Excited About Smart Homes 5 YouTube Videos To Get Excited About Smart Homes he's not excited. Read More It can be operated from a web interface, smartphone/tablet app, or wall-mounted units, and gives homeowners the ability to control their home from anywhere in the world.
It also makes use of "scenes"; users can pre-program different scenes into their system, allowing them to change the feel of a room with the push of a button.
The only downside to the system is that it requires an electrician or wholesaler to install it. It is not designed for DIY use in the same way as SmartThings projects. 4 Really Cool Uses for SmartThings Open Closed Sensors. You can do much more. Here are ideas for using the device to make your home a little smarter. Read more are.
ABB's latest addition to the system, voice-activated home automation, enables consumers to use voice commands to control more than 60 home automation features in their homes. Although voice activation itself is not a new concept, it is the built-in intelligence of ABB's offering that has led it to be dubbed the "world's most advanced" system by reviewers.
The company has used a hybrid speech recognition solution that has the ability to understand both grammar-based speech and statistical speech. In practice, this means that he can issue commands and speak as if he were a normal person, phrases like “bedroom lights on” and “Could you please turn on the lights in my bedroom?” both would have the desired effect.
Additionally, the system requires no training, but instead will tailor its understanding of your commands based on words entered into the main Free @ Home system. For example, you could enter “John's Office”, “Rachael's Bedroom”, and “Upstairs” in Free @ Home, and the system will take care of the rest.
The combination of grammar-based speech and named rooms means you can ask yes/no questions such as “Is the back door closed??”, “Are the curtains open in my room??”, and “ Will the central heating come on later??”
The product will now understand it too. "If... then..." logic. This is more useful than it first seems; Imagine being able to walk out of your house and say, "If I'm not home at 6 pm, turn on the outside security lights," or "If it gets hotter than 75 degrees, turn on the air conditioning." as you walk out the door.
Finally, the system includes voice-based responses so you know your request has been processed. For example, if you tell it to turn off the upstairs lights, you'll hear “Upstairs lights are off” once it's done.
Speaking at the opening during the IFA event, ABB CEO Axel Kaiser had this to say:
In some ways, Control4 is a more comprehensive smart home offering than Free @ Home. It's been designed to integrate with a number of well-known brands like Sonos, Nest, and Roku, and works on a "themed" basis throughout your day.
For example, at 7 am during the work week, you can program your coffee machine to start, your thermostat to increase to 20 degrees, and your favorite songs to play in your home. Alternatively you can program a “night” theme to turn off all the lights, turn off the thermostat and activate the alarm when you go to bed.
The HomeSeer system can control lighting What is connected lighting and what are its uses? What is connected lighting and what are its uses? The Internet of Things is upon us, and its next victim is the light bulb in your home. Read More, Thermostats, Door Locks Forgotten Keys:5 Smart Locks You Can Unlock With Your Phone Forgotten Keys:5 Smart Locks You Can Unlock With Your Phone Here are 5 different locks you can unlock with your phone. Read more, garage doors, water valves, energy monitors and security cameras.
Like Free @ Home, it includes voice control, although the system isn't as smart. It will also issue spoken messages for alerts and announcements, and you can even ask it to give you vocal reminders!
The controller will set you back $700 USD on their online store.
We've Covered SmartThings Creepy But Fun Surveillance Ideas With SmartThings Creepy But Fun Surveillance Ideas With SmartThings With a suite of Smart Home devices like the SmartThings suite, you can snoop to the depths. Here are some ways to use SmartThings devices to keep an eye on your surroundings. Read more projects in detail at MakeUseOf, and we're big fans of what it can offer the average home user.
Its biggest advantage is the price:the center is only $99 USD, which makes it significantly cheaper than some of the more luxury brands on the market.
The system works by connecting sensors. 4 really cool uses for SmartThings. Open open sensors. 4 really cool uses for SmartThings. Here are ideas for using the device to make your home a little smarter. Read More A typical sensor costs between $30 and $60 USD.
What smart home automation system do you currently use?
If you're not using one, does the arrival of one of the world's most recognized automation brands make you consider investing?
Perhaps you currently use a cheaper system and the new voice automation has you wondering about upgrading? What questions do you have for us??
As always, please leave your stories, thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
