The Potential Of IoT Devices For Home Automation And Security

Home Network

The Internet of Things (IoT) can bring in innovation to one’s home and lifestyle. The IoT or smart devices can make one’s life easy and comfortable and well secured with all the luxurious features.

The report will showcase ten such IoT devices that are innovative and significantly contribute to making one’s home smart. The uses and the security features will be highlighted in this report.

The floor design of IOT above shows the Amazon Echo, smart TV, LG wireless camera, solar sensor, smart cooler, temperature sensor and lots more which can enhance one’s lifestyle and also can make their well secured.

1. Amazon Alexa and Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon’s Alexa Smart home with whole new modern features is built to make one’s home smarter. The Alexa is linked with smart devices to get the most out of it. The devices which can be linked to Alexa are Starter Kits, cameras, locks, smart television and much more.

The Amazon Echo from the home of Amazon operates primarily on the human voice and human command. It also assists in streaming music and audio, it assists in generating to-do lists and one can set alarm via this Amazon Echo (Edwards, Edwards & Dot, 2016). If more than one Alexa presents in a single room, then the nearest one will capture human voice and will work upon it.

Issue

Amazon Alexa fails to interpret human voice and human language at times.

1. Usage:The Amazon Echo has a speaker included within, that gets operated on the human command.
2. Control:The Echo Dot links the smart devices of home and governs them by voice.
3. Connectivity:The device needs to be connected to the Internet and the Bluetooth to connect to all the smart devices.
4. Security: The user has basically privilege to turn off the device and thus one hide whatever they do not want to disclose to the public.
5. Privacy:Echo Dot records everything nearby, turning it off, the users maintain the privacy. The users have the opportunity to delete whatever has been recorded in Echo Dot.

Wink Hub 2, one of the most innovative smart devices is quite popular; it operates with ZigBee and Z-Wave (Fuenmayor & Wink, 2016). It also works with Lutron Clear Connect, Kidde and Bluetooth. Wink Hub 2 makes the home smart with the help of Philips Light Hue and Netgear Arlo Camera.

Issue

It is difficult to operate Wink Hub 2 with Z-Link; it does not get configured with Z-Link.

1. Usage:The device is made to work with the technology Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, Kidde to make the home smarter.
2. Control:The Wink Hub 2 with Netgear Arlo Camera and also Philips Light Hue to really bring innovation at home premises.
3. Connectivity:The Wink Hub 2 even works with no Internet connectivity.
4. Security:Wink Hub 2 caters advanced security measures to 1 flashing Light accompanied with Siren, 1 Motion Detector and 3 Door-Window Sensors and
5. Privacy:The privacy is ensured securing the window.

Logitech Harmony Elite is another innovation added to the list. It is manufactured keeping in mind to control devices such as TV and stereo with the help of a remote. The device is a new concept by which the entertainment units like TV can be switched on or can be controlled (Corcoran, 2016). Logitech Harmony Elite has certain advantages over classical remote-controlled devices and it basically facilitates to connect to the infrared and Bluetooth device.

Issue

The device does not cooperate with Amazon Instant Video App.

1. Usage:The device is used to control all the smart devices with the aid of a remote, so it is used to switch on the smart devices.
2. Control:Logitech Harmony Elite controls remote controlled IoT and Smart devices.
3. Connectivity:Logitech Harmony Elite utilizes Bluetooth to connect to the smart devices.
4. Security:The infrared devices are assured security by Logitech Harmony Elite.
5. Privacy:The security, as well as the privacy, can be guaranteed by this smart device thus embellish the smart home concept.

The Smart Lock Home Kit integrated with deadbolt switch is applied to lock doors (Fernandes et al., 2017). The Apple Smart Lock is relatively easy to configure and it is linked to Bluetooth of a smartphone or similar kind of device to grant access to the authorized guests.

Internet of Things Devices

Issue

The application fails to integrate with the smart lock home kit.

1. Usage:The smart lock home kit technology is applied to lock doors digitally.
2. Control:The smart lock home kit only regulates the lock of the doors and thus provides security.
3. Connectivity:The smart lock home kit needs network connectivity to digitally lock doors.
4. Security:This smart lock kit caters security at the home doorstep thus ensuring only verified users to enter through the secure system.
5. Privacy:Caters privacy as only the verified users have the privilege to enter into.

ADT Pulse, another gift from IoT offers security via security locks. ADT Pulse offers unmatched quality features compared to other similar security locks and so they are quite costly in comparison to others (Asgari et al., 2017). It caters enhanced security throughout.

Issue

It sometimes gets messages that are un-deciphered.

1. Usage:ADT pulse caters enhanced security solutions to the door locks or home locks.
2. Control:It is a way to govern and control the thermostat.
3. Connectivity:The sensor control is utilised to connect the ADT Pulse.
4. Security:Caters security to almost all IoT devices.
5. Privacy:Caters privacy as well alongside security by means of home locks and door locks.

Tend secure Lynx Indoor, a surveillance camera and has the capability to take a picture as well as video of 1080 pixel. This camera is equally valuable at night; it takes videos at night with ease. It comes along with the triggering facility and also the high-quality video recording capacity (Zhang, Chen & Wang, 2016). The camera is operated on the cloud platform. The camera can recognize the face as well as audio to the utmost.

Issue

The device has some issues related to network connectivity.

1. Usage:Tend secure Lynx Indoor, a surveillance camera works both day and night with efficiency and record full HD video having the quality of 1080 pixel.
2. Control:The camera can supervise who is entering and going out of the house.
3. Security:The camera caters complete protection to the house both inside and outside.
4. Connectivity:This camera works after gets connected to Bluetooth and wireless network.
5. Privacy:The camera is best suited for the office managers who can supervise the activities like who is coming in and going out of office. This works similarly in case of house owners too as they can monitor the same to keep their house safe and secure.

The camera is IoT empowered and this smart camera is totally weatherproof. The camera can be installed both inside and outside and get the maximum facility (Ott & Hagedorn, 2016). The Nest Cam Outdoor via Wi-Fi wireless net connectivity is used to transmit both audio and video as well. The notification alerts can be received as well through this camera.

Issue

The device has some connectivity issues with respect to Wi-Fi in special.

1. Usage:Nest Cam outdoorworks efficiently both in indoor and outdoor.
2. Control:It some quality features like it can take a high quality picture and can record quality videos, record audio. Moreover, alerts can be sent as well.
3. Connectivity:Nest Cam outdoor needs to be connected via wireless network.
4. Security:The family residence is given the security.
5. Privacy:The overall privacy can be perceived by this device.

The LG Smart Wireless Security Camera is used in the office premises and the house. It is basically used to safeguard house or office from anyone trying to conduct any unscrupulous activities (Gharaibeh et al., 2017). The camera is installed in the office to keep an eye on the employees’ activities. The camera needs daily maintenance and the owners take the full responsibility to handle those problems.

Issue

Often the IP security camera does not get integrated with LG Smart Wireless Security Camera.

1. Usage:The camera is used by the house owners and the office managers to monitor whether anyone is conducting any unscrupulous activities in the house, in the office or not.
2. Control:The device gets controlled or governed by the remote.
3. Connectivity:It needs to be connected to the wireless Wi-Fi connection to get throughput.
4. Security:The camera caters security both in the office and in the home premises. The IoT device will capture any unscrupulous activities from any distant place, thus ensuring safety and security to both home and office premises.
5. Privacy:The privacy can be ensured alongside via this LG Smart Wireless Security Camera.

The Adobe Security Kit another IoT device provides an advanced feature like self-monitoring. The device integrated with Z-Wave and ZigBee products can embellish smart home’s innovation (Kor et al., 2016). The Adobe Security Kit connecting with door locks, lights and switches to provide top quality features to the smart home. The device best integrates with Amazon Alexa.

Issue

The Adobe Security Kit is a somewhat bulky in nature. It does not get integrated with the mobile application software.

1. Usage:The Adobe Security Key integrated with ZigBee and Z-Wave caters enhanced security features. It provides us with the best innovative smart home solutions and that can be achieved by connecting door locks, lights and switches. The device caters support for IFTTT recipes and integrates well with Amazon Alexa.
2. Control:All round security solutions can be achieved by the Adobe Security Key as it provides the door locking facilities and along with that IoT based switches and lights.
3. Connectivity:The system has an advantage; it works with the absence of net connectivity.
4. Security:The entire home is provided with the security.
5. Privacy:The Adobe Security caters privacy along with the latest innovation.

Netgear Arlo Pro is another IoT device that must be added to the list. This device can be installed with ease. The device has some best features integrated like it is weatherproof, it is wireless (Habibi et al., 20117). Initially, though the device had audio issues now the problem is solved, but now it provides the facility of two-way audio. It has also USB port via which videos and audios can be stored, plus it comes with rechargeable batteries as well.

Issue

The Netgear Arlo Pro fails to operate at a long distance.

1. Usage:The device is applied to record the surroundings of one’s house.
2. Control:Netgear Arlo Pro can be governed using remote and at the same time by voice as well.
3. Connectivity:The device needs to be connected to the Internet and it can be connected to the Wi-Fi router as well.
4. Security:The device is capable of detecting individuals who are getting into and are getting out and keep records of them, thus ensuring the security of the house.
5. Privacy:The privacy can be maintained as nobody will get the privilege to enter one’s house without owner’s permission.

Conclusion

It can be concluded from the above discourse that IoT innovation can change the scenario of the home as a whole. It has the capability to make someone’s life simple and easy with tons of luxurious features. The IoT devices discussed ranges from smart camera sensors to digital lock door facilities. The devices explained in the report are capable of securing one’s home and one’s office and by integrating those devices with the Bluetooth and the wireless network connectivity, maximum throughput can be acquired. The ten such IoT devices along with their usage have been detailed in the report. 

References

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Kor, A. L., Yanovsky, M., Pattinson, C., & Kharchenko, V. (2016, December). SMART-ITEM: IoT-enabled smart living. In Future Technologies Conference (FTC) (pp. 739-749). IEEE.

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Zhang, X., Chen, Y., & Wang, W. (2016, November). Three-dimensional Modelling Technology for City Indoor Positioning and Navigation Applications. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 46, No. 1, p. 012040). IOP Publishing.