Future of Home Automation

[CFGuy]

I really think that once self driving cars take off they won't fit into a normal garage anymore. They will become more and more like a small apartment. Think about going on vacation. The family loads into the RV-like self driving "car" in the evening. They go to bed and wake up in the morning at their vacation destination rested and ready for a busy day of sight seeing.

Or someone that has to travel for a meeting. Get in the RV, set the destination and time to arrive. Get some sleep, wake in the morning, shower, shave, have some breakfast and walk into the building where the meeting is being held.

[Teken]

I would put it to those considering the whole *Self Driving Car* idea. Do you know many of the top commercial Boeing jet liners can take off and land unattended.

The American government has no less than two fully automated stealth planes capable of auto flight. One of these fantastic stealth plane has also accomplished what no other plane has ever done in history.

Land on a moving aircraft carrier . . .

Now, that I have laid out these fantastic human technological feats of accomplishments.

Ask yourself why it is not a soul, company, consumer has ever sat in a auto piloted air plane??? Ask your self who will be the first one to place their infant child in a car seat and let autobot take Jr. to his / her final destination?

I can assure you there won't be a single soul that will step up to the plate.

[waynehead99]

Tekken (and others)
I like what you have done with echo and wanted to share a video I have as well. I agree with everyone that voice will become more key in the future of home control (this will also blur the lines of automation and control).

You can say the request in any form you want, and if it doesn't completely know what you are saying, it will ask until it gets all the right answers to do the action. You can also just flat out tell it to play pandora in the kitchen without all the questions, but I did this to help others in the house that don't know the exact phrases.

https://youtu.be/0S0cbwpRWWI

[ITguyHS]

My system will alert me vocally of any condition, state, program, and than allow me to either let reactive programs operate as expected or allow me to intervene and make finer adjustments.

Below is a sample of what I can do and know simply by asking Alexa about various attributes of my home and its super structure:

Very cool! I searched to see if you had posted anything about how you're doing this, but couldn't find anything. Would you be willing to share in a new thread?

[Teken]

Tekken (and others)

I like what you have done with echo and wanted to share a video I have as well. I agree with everyone that voice will become more key in the future of home control (this will also blur the lines of automation and control).



You can say the request in any form you want, and if it doesn't completely know what you are saying, it will ask until it gets all the right answers to do the action. You can also just flat out tell it to play pandora in the kitchen without all the questions, but I did this to help others in the house that don't know the exact phrases.



https://youtu.be/0S0cbwpRWWI

Great demo ~ I'm wondering how you accomplished this and if it's similar to how I did so via the Amazon development web page?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Teken]

Very cool! I searched to see if you had posted anything about how you're doing this, but couldn't find anything. Would you be willing to share in a new thread?

Sure, more than happy to share how I did this. [emoji106] Which part were you interested in learning about? Alexa or Julie U.S. or both? [emoji848]

Also to clarify for those reading my replies I don't own or use a HS Controller. I was asked to reply to a thread here a few months back. After reading some of the forum threads I found the topics and members very interesting so decided to stay and read further.

While hoping to offer some insight and feedback on some of the things I've been really interested in.

I'm not too familiar with this forum so if this new topic has to go somewhere please do let me know where.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Pete]

You can post another topic right here in the same section. Call it anything you want.

General Home Automation Hardware Discussion

Many times in the last few years have edited Home Automation wiki. Many times though it's been spoiled by vendors.

Home automation

[Teken]

You can post another topic right here in the same section. Call it anything you want.

General Home Automation Hardware Discussion

Many times in the last few years have edited Home Automation wiki. Many times though it's been spoiled by vendors.

Home automation

Hello Pete,

Much thanks for the insight will create it when time permits. [emoji106]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Uncle Michael]

Ask yourself why it is not a soul, company, consumer has ever sat in a auto piloted air plane??? Ask your self who will be the first one to place their infant child in a car seat and let autobot take Jr. to his / her final destination?

I can assure you there won't be a single soul that will step up to the plate.

I'm pretty sure pilot-less vehicles will eventually be the norm - and human drivers will be considered to be a safety hazard - but it's the timing that is impossible to predict, for the reasons you articulate: There is an innate assumption that human control is safer than automation (even though all available data supports the opposite conclusion) and a gut level fear of the unknown.

I assume that, initially, 'driverless' vehicles will have an attendant whose nominal function is to take control when necessary, but whose primary function will be to make passengers and regulators more comfortable. That is already happening on a small scale. In the end, the conclusion that the attendant is not serving a useful purpose may have more to do with a generational change than with technological improvements or safety data.

[Teken]

I'm pretty sure pilot-less vehicles will eventually be the norm - and human drivers will be considered to be a safety hazard - but it's the timing that is impossible to predict, for the reasons you articulate: There is an innate assumption that human control is safer than automation (even though all available data supports the opposite conclusion) and a gut level fear of the unknown.

I assume that, initially, 'driverless' vehicles will have an attendant whose nominal function is to take control when necessary, but whose primary function will be to make passengers and regulators more comfortable. That is already happening on a small scale. In the end, the conclusion that the attendant is not serving a useful purpose may have more to do with a generational change than with technological improvements or safety data.

At a high level that view makes sense. But the reality is auto pilot requires the proper infrastructure to be in place. Meaning dedicated lanes and checks and balances to ensure all Weather road conditions are well understood and at the ready.

Even with such infrastructure in place there are too many possible failure points. This model I propose will never see the light of day on a large scale.

Because the costs are simply too enormous to undertake for such a hobby toy.

Now, if we go down the other path where a vehicle is operating on existing roads and highways. Along side of humans, extreme road conditions, the recipe for disaster is already written on the wall.

One needs only look at what happen to that stupid Tesla driver. He ended up being a pancake and cut meat loaf!

Because he was too stupid and inept to do the only thing he is charged to do. Which is the direct care and control of the automobile!

The simple fact he decided to play games, text, go to sleep, pick his nose, besides drive!!

Shows the rarest element in the multi-verse. Which is common sense, isn't so common.

Man can insert as many sensors, probes, GPS, cameras, what ever into X. It will never overcome, stupid.

I would love to see auto pilot vehicles come true in my lifetime. As it would offer those with restricted mobility that freedom all of us mobile folks enjoy. But the reality is the thought process and the deployment of the tech is so wrong in every way. [emoji35]

It's doomed even before it's even gotten started.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ITguyHS]

Sure, more than happy to share how I did this. Which part were you interested in learning about? Alexa or Julie U.S. or both?

I'm not familiar with Julie U.S., but now I'm curious. So, both please!

Thanks!

[waynehead99]

I'm pretty sure pilot-less vehicles will eventually be the norm - and human drivers will be considered to be a safety hazard - but it's the timing that is impossible to predict, for the reasons you articulate: There is an innate assumption that human control is safer than automation (even though all available data supports the opposite conclusion) and a gut level fear of the unknown.

I assume that, initially, 'driverless' vehicles will have an attendant whose nominal function is to take control when necessary, but whose primary function will be to make passengers and regulators more comfortable. That is already happening on a small scale. In the end, the conclusion that the attendant is not serving a useful purpose may have more to do with a generational change than with technological improvements or safety data.

It will eventually come, its slowly already starting. The next big thing I think will have to happen is car communication between each other. This will be coming soon I am sure. But you are right that people will still have a fear of this, at least current older generations. I am thinking we are at a pivot point with tech and current younger generations will embrace this easier.

Planes have auto pilot and have for decades, Slowly that technology is taking more and more control over the plane and the idea of a pilot in the next 20 years will probably be a thing of the past. Probably the only thing holding pilots in those jobs is the fear that a plane would have no one to control it if something were to go wrong. But people don't realize the amount of redundant systems planes have on them. Though to be fair to the other side, I do think the fear is valid currently. We are still working on AI and that would be key in moving forward with headless planes and cars. Right now a computer can only account for what it has been programmed for, not what might happen.

The tech future will be interesting in 20 years, but I still think we will be driving ourselves

[waynehead99]

Great demo ~ I'm wondering how you accomplished this and if it's similar to how I did so via the Amazon development web page?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Someone much smarter than me (Jon00) has an Alexa script that allows for this. I will take the credit of finding the functionality, but he added it. I just use his scripts to parse the data coming from Alexa and have the results sent to my own scripts to be acted upon.

Basically you just put a '?' at the end of a response from Alexa in your coding and that will initiate the wait for a response from you. What I really liked about yours, it doesn't seem you are invoking a skill, and this has me curious.

[Uncle Michael]

Man can insert as many sensors, probes, GPS, cameras, what ever into X. It will never overcome, stupid.

I don't think it has to overcome it, at least at first. It may just have to be no worse. It's hard to imagine that diverless vehicles will have any measurable effect in overall safety at first. (They will be hopelessly outnumbered by stupid.) Their introduction will almost certainly be driven (no pun intended) by a desire to reduce labor costs for commercial vehicles, not by improved safety, even though that will be touted. Nonetheless, if road safety is not negatively impacted, that my be all that is required to keep the ball rolling. Although I am confident that autonomous vehicles will eventually make an enormous difference in road safety, the transition is not likely to be smooth.

On the other hand, all vehicles on the road today are controlled by potentially 'stupid' (distracted, intoxicated, tired) people. Every vehicle controlled or augmented by an automated system is an opportunity to reduce the incidence and/or consequences of 'stupid' driving. I haven't seen any solid data, but I have seen multiple cases where the Tesla 'autopilot' either prevented or reduced the severity of an accident. It should come as no surprise, though, that it can fail catastrophically . . . but so can humans.

[Teken]

I'm not familiar with Julie U.S., but now I'm curious. So, both please!

Thanks!

This video was made to document some of the canned announcements from Julie U.S. If one listens very carefully you will notice I am able to make Julie U.S. speak in a way that is very natural with pauses, emphasis, and breaks in tempo.

I am still adding more canned voice announcements to my system. As of this writing there is no less than 400 defined replies that cover all manner of systems, weather, security, force protection, energy, location, environmental, programs, and many other unique things I've found important to know about.

One dedicated folder is named family: This folder includes simple things like happy birthday to each person in my home. Which is announced on specific days and times. Other canned announcements are reminders to do X vs Y.

Others are mundane things like *Take out the trash / Take your medicine / The bus arrives at X*.

The overall goal of Julie U.S. was to have a self contained *natural speaking* voice announcement system which provided critical insight to my home and the environment.

It was purposely created to be the primary (vocal) system which does not require the Internet or dependencies of the cloud once setup. Where there is a need for a male voice John U.S. has been tasked to offer a more pronounced vocal tenner.

Once the bulk of the self contained local voice system was made. I of course started to create a few fund canned phrases for the holiday seasons like Halloween etc.

Having said that the primary goal of the Julie U.S. system is to alert me of pending danger or out of band conditions in a vocal manner locally. All of the different alerts from notice, warning, danger, reminders, etc.

Are relayed to all parties via SMS, Email, Phone, and Reader Boards.

The Reader Board is still under development at this moment because my wants vs my needs are higher and my time is limited. The reader board provides visual text and images of the same things I noted above. This covers every possible method to communicate to the users.

Anyone who has been tracking the massive loss of Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria, which has impacted tens of thousands of people all across North America.

Knows, every seconds count when a impending danger like Flood, Tornado, Hurricane, Earth Quake, etc are present. I wanted to have the ability to alert my family and friends in different ways of such dangers.

One of the things that has driven me to keep pushing this whole smart voice technology is to help those who have less. Knowing so many people who have come back from war or lost sight from some kind of child defect. If there has ever been a time where technology can be fully utilized for the betterment of man kind.

Its now . . .

Its safe to say lots of people use all of this technology like its a toy. None of the systems in my home are toys and none of them are tasked as such. Having the ability to help someone who is blind by informing them a condition vocally is one small step in helping those regain that self reliance they have lost.

While the other aspect is empowering the very same who have limited mobility to do simple tasks so many of us take for granted like turn on the lights.

This is what Alex, Insteon, enables me to help empower those who can't do the same. They can now turn on a light, control the heating & cooling, close the shades, listen to music or change the TV channel. Even open the door even though I am not a fan of such capability.

Enjoy . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLilnhOob1A