20 Reasons you would love to live in an Automated House

"Uhh.. you have an automated house ! What's the use ?", that is what usually people are saying when visiting us. If home automation is still tricky to setup, and requires skills and work, there are a few features among all that help to appreciate the living in a fully-automated home. Manual control and automatic bypasses are still available for exceptional use.

1. Stop wasting your time in repetitive tasks, forget to do what is nevertheless identical

Every morning I used to wake-up and turn on the same lights, listen to same radio station, check the mailbox, awake the kids at the same hour.

Every night I was setting up my alarm clock, closing garage and doors, turn the alarm panel on, turn off every forgotten light, TV and computers, shut off the telephone ring in the sleeping room

Now the house does it by itself or with a single button press.

2. Do not turn on the lights anymore, do not forget anymore to turn them off

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Lights are going on/off in rooms according to occupation,outside brightness and different modes.

3. Let your wife reply when her mother calls, don't be a telephone operator for your kids

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When our phone rings, a vocal announcement tells us who is calling. Nice and handy specially when watching a football game.

4. Hear the doorbell even in the middle of a concert of Led'zep and hear the telephone-ring while passing the vacuum cleaner

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When someone rings or calls, volume is going down, vacuum-cleaner or electric tool are turned off, so that rings and vocal announcement can be heard.

5. Save the heating when you open the window or when you are not at home.

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If a windows stays open for several minutes the heating and air-conditioning is automatically turned off for this room .

The house will also turn to eco-mode when everybody is out.

6. Take the garbage out on the good day

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We have two garbage cans, one for recycling. They have to be taken out on specific days of the week. A vocal reminder when leaving in the morning helps a lot to be punctual.

7. Do not bother any more to water the lawn or to feed the fishes, do not water the lawn when it will rain the next day

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Automatic sprinklers are very common, but they irrigate everyday, even if the weather is bad.

Some probes help not to open the valves if it has been raining, but in an automated home the weather forecast for the 3 next days is also evaluated

8. Do not open your door anymore to inopportune

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Visitors are showing on TV's and computer when ringing at the door, thanks to the outside camera.

If no one is home, a short record will be sent by mail,twitter,messenger and SMS.

9. Have a nap without being disturbed by the telephone

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When the curtains are shut AND the lights are off in the sleeping room, phone will only ring at 6th ring.

10. Do not eat anymore beans and compotes for three days because the freezer remained opened,

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Temperature sensors in freezers and fridge help to know when door is open and temperature rising. Vocal alert, mail, SMS, twitter etc. will be triggered according to schedule and circumstances.

11. Forget about telemarketers

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Phone calls with hidden numbers are routed to a vocal message asking to call back in the two next minutes for urgent meanings only. (After two minutes access will but closed again).

Telemarketers number are saved in a black list and the phone won't even ring at their next try.

12. Turn off the TV without awaking

If the TV is on in the sleeping room after a certain hour, and there is no movement for several minutes, the TV volume is first muted, then, if there is no reaction, the TV is turned off.

13. Do not forget anymore to close the garage, don't let the wind blow fallen leaves in the garage .

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Garage will automatically close when going to bed, leaving the house or during the fall if the wind is coming from the North-West and blowing over 20 km/h.

14. Do not wait anymore for hot water to take your shower

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A circulator for hot water is turned off before stepping in the shower, when turning the tap, water is immediately warm.

15. Do not forget your alarm-clock

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The house knows everything about occupant's agendas and holydays and sets the alarm clock accordingly.

16. Return from vacation in a warm house,

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Let the house know when you will be back, or send a tweet a mail or phone directly to the house, and you will feel warm and confortable when entering.

17. Don't be ridiculous for neighbors when calling your cat to bed every night

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The cat-flap door is closed for the way-out at night, preventing the cat to go out but letting it come back home.

18. Forget about your nephews' e-mails for their bithdays

Email, twitter, the house knows every birthday and will call by itself with a nice random message, kidding about their age...

19. Check your agenda(s)

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The house is connected to every user's agenda. Vocal reminders during breakfast, when leaving or on the control panels helps not to forget any appointment.

20. Avoid or discourage burglars

When no one is at home, the house will still have some random activity with lights and curtains moving randomly.

If someone rings at the front door, a very impressive and angry dog will bark in all speakers around, discouraging any temptation.