What is domotics?

It is very hard to define an area which is developing and changing so fast as domotics. Like for some other similarly dynamic fields (IT and others), the available information is often incomplete, not up-to-date or completely wrong. The additional problem is the absence of a uniform standard, together with the need to present it to the client, who is, by definition, focused entirely on costs, neglecting almost completely the technical aspects, such as communications protocol and others.

This series of articles is the result of an effort to create a panoramic overview of the field of domotics which would give the reader (architect, engineer or client) the notion of the basic concepts of technology. Getting to know the principles and technical possibilities of this technology, should help clients through the plethora of available products, but also with the evaluation of the different suppliers.

We shall try to present the overview and short history of domotics, with specifics and differences from the traditional home systems, we shall briefly describe the communications network, the architecture of the connection routes and basics of the communication protocol. In the final parts we shall focus on the European standard KNX-the architecture, the devices and system configuration. Domotics- the smart home concept

The needs of the modern homeowners are constantly changing and are undergoing a process of evolution, following the rapid technological advances, especially in the past ten years. Before we look back at the technology itself, we should tale a look at the way homes have been changing- during medieval times, home were almost completely empty, with rare pieces of furniture, while today, it is very hard to find adequate space for any new object, even in big apartments, especially of they are some type of electrical equipment- there are power and communication chords, modems, routers, decoders, sound systems and others.

Parallel to the introduction of the modern lifestyle is the transformation of the traditional electrical appliances into complex integrated systems, primarily thanks to the introduction of the electronic components.

Such integration brings about radical changes to the concept of a device or system- the information canal is separated form the actuator, therefore the data obtained form one sensor are no longer pertinent to the originating device, but are shared within the whole network (of the apartment or the building).

This transformation of the logic of the system enabled the possibility to eliminate the isolation of individual devices and subsystems installed in the building and opened the possibility to have new functionality, which would be unthinkable if we should rely solely on the traditional technology.

The demands of the space users are constantly growing, but so are the specifications of the new buildings, primarily for environmental, energy consumption and security reasons. The regulations relative to property construction and design of different built-in systems aim to reduce pollution, rationalize the use of energy and it is clear that to meet these demands we have to introduce the intelligent space, capable of controlling the comfort (defined and quantified in a certain, prescribed way), guaranteeing safety, low energy consumption and meeting the need of the elderly or other groups.

The very term that we prefer, domotics, comes from French neologism domotique, in fact derived from Latin word domus (house, building, home) and French automatique (system control) and is literally translated as the automated home. Besides this term, the common nomenclature is smart house, smart home and home automation.

To put it simply, domotics is the area that studies the technology designed to improve the quality of life, enable the communication between the traditional subsystems already installed in the building and the new components, with the aim of achieving new, modern functionalities. What lies in the base of this multidisciplinary field is the ability to connect electrical wiring, electronic systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, alarm systems, fire alarm systems, multimedia, space detection, control of windows and shades and similar systems.

A building with such integrated system enables the control through adapted interface (switches, touch screens, remote controls, speech recognition, biometrics and others) via a computer unit that can be with central or divided functionality. Different components of the system are interconnected and connected to the control system through different types of connections (for example by BUS). Such system enables the execution of user commands (from simple ones, like switching on or off the lights, opening or closing of shades, up to the complex scenarios conditioned by the weather, the user identity etc.), the constant monitoring of variables such as the temperature, humidity, energy consumption and others, the automated regulation of parameters, as well as sending certain signals of necessary, and providing remote control services. The systems are usually able to inform the user via audiovisual signal (LED diode on the switches, graphic elements on the touch screens or tablet computers, sound signals), and there is also a possibility to communicate with the system through the Internet protocol, the text messages or email.

If the concept of domotics is raised to a higher level- the level of the whole building, we talk about the so-called Building Automation, or the automation of a building creating a smart building, with modern technologies being able to control the technological installments (air conditioning, heating, ventilation, water, gas and energy distribution, security systems), information networks in order to provide flexibility, comfort and high standard of living and working in such a building. Unlike domotics, building automation is much more mature and with a standardized, stable offer and demand, and we will discuss it later in detail.

It is important to emphasize that domotics is no longer a discipline reserved for researchers or scientists; today it is available for wide variety of users, although they might require some support.

The current situation in this field, according to many studies from countries of Western Europe, the USA and Australia is specific: many potential users of smart spaces are instinctively drawn to modern solutions, but very often, after some consideration, conclude that is unnecessary and give it up. This is a very important aspect, definitely confirmed by all studies and research performed in the past ten years – a poorly informed end-user, but also architect and contractor, is a major obstacle. Logically, the first and most important step in overcoming this problem is the right information about advantages and disadvantages and specifics of domotics solutions. This is also the main goal of these articles.

The engineers themselves, unfortunately, are not of great help with this problem; usually they have met or been trained to work with only one type of equipment of one of the manufacturers, which imposes limited solutions and diverts them from considering other possibilities. Since one of the main goals of domotics in the future period is to make a technological standardization, but also to standardize everything else within the four walls (offices, hotels, flats, companies, schools), it is clear that all factors on the market should enable, though their goals and interests, above all the adequate valuation of the field.

This is the first in the series o texts on this topic, published by The Centre for Architecture Belgrade in cooperation with Cubo Control company form Belgrade. A comprehensive overview of domotics is prepared by Radiša Jovanović, PhD. and Marko Aleksendrić, PhD.  They are experienced mechanical engineers, whose field of expertise covers programming and design work, through intertwining of various technologijes.  

 Cubo Control is an engineering and programming studio that loves technology, automatics, Italian design, but also programming of computers and other devices: from window shades to mobile phones, from basement temperature to ship engines. It is founded with the idea to provide a unified offer of high-quality solutions at affordable prices in the field of contemporary automatics, especially domotics and industrial automatization, through careful selection of high-class equipment and affirmation of state-of-the-art concepts of comfort and energy efficiency.