{"id":20760,"date":"2022-03-30T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/?p=20760"},"modified":"2022-04-04T18:22:58","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T22:22:58","slug":"evolution-of-smart-home-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/evolution-of-smart-home-technology","title":{"rendered":"The Evolution of Smart Home Technology: Key Milestones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

You may not realize it, but home automation has been around for more than a century. Of course, “automation” has meant different things to humans in different periods. But, there have certainly been breakthrough inventions that led us to what we know as “smart home technology” today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related content<\/p>

Best Smart Home Technology for Beginners and Technophobes<\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\n\n\n

Here are some of the most significant historical milestones that got us here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early to Mid-1900s<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Although today we would not consider our most commonplace home appliances “smart technology,” they certainly were inventive in the early 20th century. For example, an innovation like a washing machine could remove the need for the long process of cleaning clothes by hand. So, in that sense, such appliances were indeed smart in helping automate and simplify specific tasks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The industrial revolution introduced an exciting range of engine and electricity-powered products. This is including the first vacuum cleaner in 1901, followed by other game-changing technologies, like the refrigerator, electric dishwasher, toasters, irons, etc. While not computerized, these earlier advances in innovative home technology were important stepping-stones toward the discovery and eventual commercialization of modern-day automation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1960s <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The ECHO IV was the first proper home automation device ever created (also known as the “Electronic Computing Home Operator”). While never commercially sold, this product could control temperature and turn appliances on or off. It could also relay messages, and allow for inputting and retrieval of grocery lists, recipes, and other family memos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1965, the first touchscreen was developed in England. The inventor’s first article described the technology as “a novel input\/output device for computers,”. Therefore enabling computers to detect a change in the electric charge based solely on the touch of a finger. Imagine a smart home without touch capabilities\u2014not to mention smartphones powering all your devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then in the late 1960s, the Honeywell Kitchen Computer was introduced to the world. This product, which could store recipes and help streamline bookkeeping tasks, was based on one of Honeywell’s Series 16 minicomputers. However, nobody ever bought the Kitchen Computer. Why? Well, with a weight of more than 100 pounds and an exorbitant price tag of more than $10,000, can you blame them? Moreover, an average person would have taken a two-week programming course to understand how to use the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the 1970s to the 1990s <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In 1975, an industry standard called the X10 was announced, enabling home devices to communicate through power lines. The X10 is very similar to the technology behind home plugs, which give ethernet internet capability over power. A significant invention, this standard helped usher in products including Radio Shack’s “Plug ‘n Power” devices and Sears’ “Home Control System.” Both enable early adopters to use a command console and modules to control devices in their homes remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the 1980s, home automation became commonplace. More and more people began purchasing devices like automatic garage door openers, home security systems, motion sensor lights, and more. While much of the technology still relied on cables, and many single devices could not communicate, it was still an exciting decade that saw more modern innovations within many people’s homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then in the early 1990s, the world learned of a concept named “gerontechnology.” This concept grew into a major research and development sector related to using technology to make seniors’ lives easier while living at home. As one of the earliest mainstream home uses of smart technology, seniors could buy remote products that would notify a central contact point with the simple click of a button if they fell at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Wi-Fi (more specifically, the 802.11 wireless standards) was invented in 1997. This represented a significant turning point for smart homes\u2014removing the need for running cables throughout buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Early 2000s to Today <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Starting about 20 years ago, as the internet and mobile phones (later named “smartphones”) became more prevalent. We began seeing a plethora of smart tech products hitting the shelves\u2014with mainstream gadgets focused on home automation and connectivity. Over time, the convenience of controlling everything from an app created considerable demand. This led to the launch of online stores like Google Play<\/a>, where you could easily download apps to manage your smart devices. Although different technologies, from smart thermostats to speakers and sensors, have appeared on the market, many have been rapidly integrated into our homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, smart homes seem to be about three main things: convenience, safety, and living more sustainably. For example, having the ability to do things like schedule appliances, control security systems remotely, and automate heating. These things help us conserve physical and environmental energy, save money, and ultimately feel more comfortable in our surroundings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s Next for Smart Home Technology?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The proverbial sky is the limit for the future of home automation! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many experts believe that as artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI\/ML) become more advanced, the most innovative homes will be able to learn about\u2014and even anticipate<\/em>\u2014their occupants’ needs. Including being able to respond without being asked or directed. Meanwhile, smart homes will gather, analyze, and act upon valuable data. They’ll provide critical insights regarding our device usage and our overall health and well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what they will look like in the coming decades, it’s safe to say that “smart homes” will no longer be just about owning cool devices and gadgets. Instead, our homes will be creating life-changing conveniences and valuable knowledge to help amplify and improve our lives more than ever before! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From garage door openers to smart thermostats, here’s how we’ve evolved with smart tech<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":20761,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"guide":[],"class_list":["post-20760","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"zolo_excerpt":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20760","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20760"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20760\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20786,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20760\/revisions\/20786"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20760"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20760"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20760"},{"taxonomy":"guide","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zolo.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/guide?post=20760"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}