I have been writing about home automation and security for years. It has been so long that I remember when the two were considered separate entities. These days, they are one and the same. At any rate, I plan to build my own customized home automation system when I retire. In the meantime, I am compiling a home automation bucket list.
Rest assured the list grows longer by the day. The more I investigate home automation as a writer, the more excited I get about its possibilities. In this post, I want to share some of those possibilities with you by way of the top five items on my bucket list. Some of the items don’t seem all that exciting. Nonetheless, they made the list because I consider them necessities.
Are you ready? Then let’s get to my bucket list without any further delay.
1. Build My Own Server
Any home automation system ready to go out-of-the-box relies on external internet connections to make everything work. Let’s say you buy a Vivint system that includes a smart thermostat, several wireless video cameras, a smart lock, and a smart garage door controller. The system is going to require a tremendous amount of computing power to do what it does.
Where does that computing power come from? A cloud-based server on which all the appropriate software runs. When I build my own custom system, I want all the software and computing power in my home, not floating around in the cloud. So I intend to build my own server that is confined to my own house.
2. Integrate Voice Control
I also intend to integrate as much voice control as I possibly can. There are two reasons for this. First, I am just fascinated by the whole concept. Being able to turn lights on and off with nothing more than a voice command really appeals to me. But there is another reason: I am partially disabled to the extent that being able to control certain things with my voice would make life a lot easier.
3. Integrate Advanced Programming
Along with voice control, I’m planning to integrate advanced programming for my thermostat, lighting, window blinds, and irrigation system. I am hoping to create programming that can accommodate not only my daily routine, but also seasonal changes. So for example, I’m hoping to install smart blinds that open and close based on the season and time of day, thereby improving my HVAC efficiency.
4. Building Everything Around Matter
Next on my bucket list is building the entire system around the Matter protocol. Matter is a project designed to bring standardization to smart home communication so that more devices can interact more easily. It is still new and far from mature, but I expect Matter to be more than ready for prime time when I am ready to retire a few years from now.
5. Implement Geolocation Programming
Though implementing geolocation programming does not top my bucket list, it is the one project I am most looking forward to. I’m looking forward to integrating my home automation system with my cell phone so that the system does certain things based on my location. All the lights in the house will turn off as I’m driving away. The door will automatically unlock when I arrive home.
I admit that I am a home automation fanboy. I love everything about it. When I retire, I plan to spend my free time building, tinkering, and trying all sorts of new things. I will need as much time as possible, because my home automation bucket list just keeps growing.
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