Usability of Smart Home Systems

There is no doubt regarding the importance of electrical and digital installations in private homes; we are experiencing a technological revolution in the way humans interact with and control houses and their electrical systems. After more than 90 years, during which traditional technologies in the electrical domain for domestic use were standardized, smart technologies and artificial intelligence gained an important place in the private home sector. The industrial sector was the initial pioneer which implemented this concept, with the purpose of production automation. Motivated by the continuous decrease of semiconductor costs, the vision of home automation, which is later associated with the term “smart home” became realistic and affordable, at least in the well-developed countries. Even if at first sight home automation systems seem only to provide the control for lighting and some power sockets, in a broader sense, we are talking about a complex power distribution system aimed to interconnect, control and monitor all types of electric based systems that can be found in the domestic sector. These can be, just to name a few, power appliances, switches, telephones, data networks, television, home theater, distributed audio, security monitoring and energy management. As smart home technologies get more affordable usability factors will increase the weight in the acceptability decisions made by users and purchasers. In addition, the great diversity of choices, equipped with different options and features, will require more time for learning and accommodation, which can in turn greatly limit the usefulness of new applications. Consequently, this thesis aims to make a critical analysis on how usable home automation systems are, as a matter of fact, beyond the promises made by the market place and the public messages spread by vendors and enthusiastic individuals about this topic. The present work does not have to be interpreted as skeptical or pejorative regarding smart homes but rather, it strives to present an objective and realistic view on this topic. For this matter, the analysis will use the actual state of the art as reference, and it will be based on case studies I was personally involved with, present research studies, papers, statistics and accessible data released by companies and organizations involved in this area. Firstly, this thesis will present an overview of the most common smart home architectures and technologies available on the market place, aiming to define a common ground for further discussion. On this basis, the analysis will further focus on 6 different aspects: 1. Social relevance – How do such systems impact and blend in our social life? 2. Economy – What costs are involved, in both the short and long term? 3. Environmental contribution – Does it positively affect our environment? 4. Interoperability – How well can different systems and technologies be interconnected? 5. Open Source – What is the standpoint of the market regarding the openness of smart home technologies? 6. Security – How secure are such systems and what is their impact on privacy? These topics impact the usability of smart home systems and thus their prosperity, as they are all related to user centered topics. Further, the subject can also be divided in two categories; (1) non-technical, which would be the first three topics and (2) technical, those being the latter three topics. Based on this analysis, conclusions are drawn aiming to raise awareness, where needed, and to encourage further emphasis on topics where great potential for improvement is given.