All you want to know about lifestyle automation ... in 5 minutes

Low cost computer and networking capabilities today allow us to design and equip spaces with a degree of comfort, control and reliability undreamt of just a few years ago.   See for instance our What's Possible checklist.

The following notes summarize our approach and provides some basic information about techniques and equipment — whether you wish to try it out as DIY project or hiring a firm like ourselves.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We always make an effort to talk to as many people as possible.

The first question that we normally get is "how much will all this cost?".  Well, as you probably suspect it really all depends on what you want to do.  Turn key cost for the control systems alone (ie. excluding the actual equipment being controlled: boilers, plasma screens, chandeliers, etc.) can be anywhere between £1,000 and £500,000.  But just in case, you think we are trying to avoid this question, here you have some costing examples.

Lifestyle Automation - An Introduction

If you are reading this, then you know. Your environment has become too complex: too many computers, too many phones, too many lights, too many remote controls, too many gadgets - each requiring that you (or somebody you employ) learn (and remember!) how to operate them. How many times have you left for a short break and left the lights or the heating system on? And turning off the lights just takes too long. These chores eat into your precious little leisure time. There is no leisure time. Welcome to lifestyle automation. Our objective is to make modern life simpler, safer and more pleasant. We achieve this by designing and installing ultra-reliable systems that perform the time consuming or repetitive functions that you normally do manually and often with the help of a thick, unclear, instruction manual!.

We can control all indoor and outdoor lighting, radiator, under floor and forced-air heating, air conditioning, security systems, door entry systems, Closed Circuit TV, garage doors and gates, curtains, doors, bell towers, window shutters, ceiling fans, gas fires (certain safety restrictions apply), fountains, outdoor irrigation systems, arena watering systems, indoor watering systems, automatic bath fillers, whole-house music, home cinemas, music rooms, digital satellite systems, computer controlled telescopes, pool, spas, saunas and cellar climate control, home networks, home offices, intercom systems and telephone services. And more. Our clients always come up with new and interesting ideas.

Any of these functions can be carried out automatically, say at certain times of the day or trigger by certain events such as a person's presence in the room or the temperature outside (or both). The actions can also be executed by simple easy-to-use touch panels (see for instance, our sanitised Case Study of a Country House). Additional features allow you access control functions through secure internet connections or any touchtone phone.

The final installation is pre-programmed with various occupancy modes which can be selected by one touch. The list can be as long as you need to, but typical examples are: "Alone", "Family", "Guests", "Service", "Away-Short" and "Away-Long". These occupancy modes set the systems of the house to default to the most common setting for that occupancy. For instance, the "Guests" mode may set lights, different heating settings and can also lock certain parts of the house which may be contain valuables, confidential information or simply be dangerous for visiting children.

In a large country house the main occupancy modes may have further options which allow you to fine tune the way your home is used. For instance, "Guests" setting may give you the option to activate the East Wing or the West Wing or both or none. Two touches of the panel allow you to do something which you would either take considerable time or simply you would not bother at all.

The Physical Infrastructure

From a physical standpoint we approach our installations in three modules: User Control Panels (also referred as User Interfaces), the Main Control Unit and the various sub-systems under control.

The User Control Panels represent all the ways the users of the system can interact with the controls and may include wall switches, touch screens, touch tone phones, mobile phones and secure access through the internet.

The Main Control Unit is the heart of the lifestyle automation system. It reads inputs from the control panels and drives, performs the automation processing and issues the relevant commands to the various subsystems.

The subsystems represents each discrete system (such as a lighting control unit or the heating system) which is capable of accepting commands from and communicating status to the Main Control Unit.

This approach has a number of advantages over traditional way of doing "home automation":

	Existing sub-systems (for instance, your security system) can be re-used and easily integrated. In some cases, as they are. More frequently, just with minor upgrades (subject to availability from manufacturer).
	Your automation project can be phased. You don't need to make the full investment up front. You can choose what's more important to you and start there. Equally, you can add additional control panels and other user interfaces later on - as you become more familiar with the features of the system.
	A fault or even the removal the Main Control Unit does not result in the catastrophic failure of the entire system. Instead, the sub-systems just revert to their "stand-alone" operation mode. The lights continue to work (and a simple re-patching allows you to use the same wall switches). The heating continues to work. Your security (without the extra integration functions) continues to work. Your phones work. Your computer continues to chip along. Etc.

You can further minimise the cost of future lifestyle automation whenever you decide to purchase new equipment by purchasing equipment which is upward compatible with lifestyle automation systems. In practice this means that the equipment has a two-way digital interface - a RS232 port, a RS485 port or an ethernet or wireless TCP/IP connection. For instance, if you have decided to buy a new plasma screen, why don't you buy one with an RS 232 interface?. If in the future you want to integrate this into a home cinema subsystem, you already have a communication enabled display!. Similarly, if you wish to upgrade your thermostat, why don't you purchase one with a built-in RS485 interface?

Where to Start

There are two critical tasks that you must bear in mind when thinking about lifestyle automation:

First think about your goals and requirements. Make a list of things you want to control and things you want to happen automatically. Much of the information presented in this web site is actually to help our clients to think through their requirements in their own time. Read through our What's Possible or Other Functions. Read through the Lighting, Heating and Security sections to gain an understanding of current capabilities and options.

Wiring. Unfortunately this is a task that it is better done on a once-forever basis. And while wireless technology is progressing quickly, it is not yet as reliable as wired communications. Well though out wiring - planning for potential future uses - will ease the pain of installing and upgrading your lifestyle automation system. You can read more about wiring here.

You can find more details of our project implementation approach here.

Selecting the "Next" links at the bottom of the pages will take you to all the tutorials in sequence.

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