So, you have a smart gadget ... What's next?

If you are still familiar with the subject of the Internet of Things and are not sure where to start, do not despair. Today, there are many options on how to add the spice to your life with smart gadgets. And if you decide, despite the dollar against the ruble, to get one as a gift for the New Year, this article should open your eyes to the scale of the problem .

In the simplest case, friends will acquaint you with the theme, telling at the party how cool and fun it is and that nothing will happen if you try it once ... Okay, okay, you just decided to buy some fashionable device that is so highly praised crowdfunding platform for the ability to connect to the global network and perform some specific set of functions.
')
In a little more complicated - you sit down and attend to the creation of rules for interaction between multiple devices. But the real depth of opportunities and the point of no return lies in the installation and configuration of the hub, which allows you to communicate with each other through various open APIs to a large number of devices.

About these three "steps" on the way to this smart home and will be discussed further.

Start

Some smart products are self-sufficient by definition. These are entry-level DYI security systems, like Viper Home, or more professional options, such as those from ADT, which run in a limited framework - their own.

Other gadgets, like the Belkin WeMo or Phillips Hue line of light switches, allow you to work with systems from other brands. But not the fact that it will be easy to achieve.



In the case of the “first approach” systems, all you need to do is to purchase the necessary device or set, install it, download the control application and enjoy the fact that your purchase performs the function assigned to it. And this is where your path to the Great Innovator and Rationalizer ends.

However, congratulations, a start! You have already taken the first step towards the fact that by “smart home” they mean real professionals (and what the phrase “smart home” is meant by professionals is a topic for a separate article). But this is only the beginning. Initiation, so to speak. And, rather weak, so, self-indulgence. Until you come up with questions like, “according to what protocol does the device work?”, “Will it work with Nest and other smart devices?” And the like. Your interest in advanced technologies from the world of the Internet of things is satisfied for a while.

But the appetite for more complex scenarios for making life easier at any moment will manifest itself again, and then you will inevitably be waited for the transition to the next stage of automation evolution ...

If this, then that

If you are even remotely familiar with the basics of programming or formal logic, then you know that the principle of IF - THEN (IF [to do] something, THEN [to do] something] is a key element in the concept of an algorithm.

It is this simplest logical link that underlies IFTTT (read as gift - “gift”, but without g / g) - a free web and mobile service that allows you to create individual rules for interaction between devices / applications / services integrated via the Internet.

IFTTT provides a fairly large (and constantly growing) set of possibilities for controlling smart devices. For example, for your thermostat, you can set the rule “if the temperature in the street drops below X, then Nest should set the temperature Y”, or “if Nest is switched to“ [someone] at home ”mode, then send a message to the associated smartphone”.



Similarly, various smart products can be interconnected. With Nest and Phillips Hue, you can configure the rule “if Nest is transferred to the“ Nobody [at home] ”scenario, then turn off all Phillips Hue bulbs, or vice versa. And the developers are trying to do everything possible to use the service could anyone, regardless of the degree of proficiency in programming languages.

So, it's not enough for you to have just a smart device or even a few. It is interesting for you to combine them, to figure out how to connect among themselves, what teams and whole sequences of actions they can perform, what tasks to solve with minimal labor costs on your part. Congratulations! You start to get acquainted with another fundamental concept in home automation - the scenario. While on unpretentious examples, with a small number of involved elements. But this is a small step for a man, and a big jump for humanity.

And ahead is even more interesting.

Hubs

You have already matured to entry-level home automation systems - control systems like SmartThings, Wink, or other DIY-oriented enthusiasts. Your hands are itching, you want to quickly take control of the galaxy with as many different devices as possible and like a puppeteer to hold all the threads in your hands, having a wide arsenal of control techniques.

After half my mortal life, I found myself in a gloomy forest ... (c) D. Alighieri

Surely by this moment you already guess that not all is gold that is connected via WiFi (for security reasons) and at least heard that the devices can be combined via Bluetooth, Z-Wave, ZigBee and other protocols. And here you find yourself at a crossroads - to continue to control the various parts of your "smart" home separately, or to embark on all serious, and truly combine your smart devices into a single system, managed through a single interface.



Hubs just allow you to talk to different clusters in different languages ​​according to the “one window” scheme due to the advantages of open APIs. Thermostats, lighting, electronic locks, security cameras, water sensors and other devices using hubs will speak to you in plain language, even if issued by different manufacturers. All the benefits of the approach tested on IFTTT will remain, having expanded significantly.

For example, the mentioned Wink is able to combine GE Link Connected LED, Phillips Hue LED, Quirky and even Lutron , Dropcam Pro, Nest and Nest Protect thermostat, Chamberlain MyQ, Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat, Rachio Iro and other devices.

You just need to understand that at this stage the “plug-n-play” scheme, when the set of manipulations in which your direct participation is required is limited and simple, is no longer relevant. At this stage, it is almost about writing and integrating custom software, and with his own hand - third-party developments are not a fact that will give the desired result.

As you know, these are not toys for you. The jokes are over, only hardcore. But there are lots of interesting options for further development, from voice control with the help of Apple’s recently announced HomeKit or “Okay, Google” from you-know-who to ... And then it all depends on your determination, knowledge, skills and, of course, budget.

Nevertheless, the most interesting things start right here, because from here you can reach the future - reasonable, economical, and technically advanced houses in which you will feel comfortable, comfortable and safe. Isn't that what we want when we come home?