smart homes essay

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Article Contents

Introduction, 1 smart-home definition, 2 smart-home infrastructures, 3 smart-home energy-management scheme, 4 technical challenges of smart homes, 5 conclusion, conflict of interest.

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Smart homes: potentials and challenges

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Rasha El-Azab, Smart homes: potentials and challenges, Clean Energy , Volume 5, Issue 2, June 2021, Pages 302–315, https://doi.org/10.1093/ce/zkab010

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Decentralized distributed clean-energy sources have become an essential need for smart grids to reduce the harmful effects of conventional power plants. Smart homes with a suitable sizing process and proper energy-management schemes can share in reducing the whole grid demand and even sell clean energy to the utility. Smart homes have been introduced recently as an alternative solution to classical power-system problems, such as the emissions of thermal plants and blackout hazards due to bulk plants/transmission outages. The appliances, sources and energy storage of smart homes should be coordinated with the requirements of homeowners via a suitable energy-management scheme. Energy-management systems are the main key to optimizing both home sources and the operation of loads to maximize home-economic benefits while keeping a comfortable lifestyle. The intermittent uncertain nature of smart homes may badly affect the whole grid performance. The prospective high penetration of smart homes on a smart power grid will introduce new, unusual scenarios in both generation and loading. In this paper, the main features and requirements of smart homes are defined. This review aims also to address recent proposed smart-home energy-management schemes. Moreover, smart-grid challenges with a high penetration of smart-home power are discussed.

Smart homes provide comfortable, fully controlled and secure lifestyles to their occupants. Moreover, smart homes can save energy and money with the possibility of profiting from selling clean renewable energy to the grid. On the other hand, the probable decrease in total domestic-energy loads encourages many governments to support promising smart-home technologies. Some countries have already put out many rules, laws and subsidy programmes to encourage the integration of smart homes, such as encouraging the optimization of the heating system, supporting building energy storage and/or deploying smart meters. For instance, the European Standard EN 15232 [ 1 ] and the Energy Performance of Building Directive 2010/31/EU [ 2 ], which is in line with Directive 2009/72/EC as well as the Energy Road Map 2050 [ 3 ], encourage the integration of smart-home technologies to decrease power demand in residential areas.

To control the environment, a smart home is automated by controlling some appliances, such as those used for lighting and heating, based on different climatic conditions. Now, recent control schemes adapt many functions besides classical switching ones. They can monitor the internal environment and the activities of the home occupants. They also can independently take pre-programmed actions and operate devices in set predefined patterns, independently or according to the user’s requirements. Besides the ease of life, smart homes confirm efficient usage of electricity, lowering peak load, reducing energy bills and minimizing greenhouse-gas emissions [ 4 , 5 ].

Smart homes can be studied from many points of view. The communication systems [ 6 ], social impacts [ 7 ], thermal characteristics [ 8 ], technologies and trends of smart homes [ 9 ] are reviewed individually. Moreover, the monitoring and modelling of smart-home appliances via smart meters are reviewed for accurate load forecasting, as in [ 10 , 11 ]. Recently, power-grid authorities have modified residential electrical tariffs to encourage proper demand-side management by homeowners. Different from previous reviews, this paper introduces smart homes from the electrical/economic point of view. It also discusses smart-home energy-management systems (SHEMS) in two different modes, offline load scheduling and real-time management. The prospective impacts of unusual smart-home power profiles on future smart grids are also summarized.

After this introductory section, Section 1 describes the different definitions of smart homes within the last two decades. Smart-home communication schemes and other infrastructures of smart homes are discussed in Section 2. Section 3 discusses in more detail the existing functions of SHEMS, their pre-proposed optimization techniques and related technical/economical objective functions. The impacts of smart homes on modern grids are also discussed in Section 4. Finally, in Section 5, the main conclusions and contributions of the paper are highlighted.

The term ‘smart home’ has been commonly used for about two decades to describe houses with controlled energy schemes. This automation scheme confirms easier lifestyles for homeowners than normal un-automated homes, especially for elderly or disabled persons. Recently, the concept of ‘smart home’ has a wider description to include many applications of technologies in one place.

Sowah et al. [ 12 ] define smart homes as: ‘Houses that provide their occupants a comfortable, secure, and energy efficient environment with minimum possible costs regardless their occupants.’ The Smart Homes Association defines a smart home as: ‘The integration of technology and services through home networking for a better quality of living’ [ 13 ].

Makhadmeh et al. define them as: ‘Incorporated residential houses with smart technology to improve the comfort level of users (residents) by enhancing safety and healthcare and optimizing power consumption. Users can control and monitor smart-home appliances remotely through the home energy-management system (HEMS), which provides a remote monitoring system that uses telecommunication technology’ [ 14 ].

Smart homes can be defined as: any residential buildings using different communication schemes and optimization algorithms to predict, analyse, optimize and control its energy-consumption patterns according to preset users’ preferences to maximize home-economic benefits while preserving predefined conditions of a comfortable lifestyle.

Distributed clean energy generated by smart homes provides many benefits for prospective smart grids. Consequently, the effects of smart homes on future power grids should be extensively studied. In the near future, smart homes will play a major role as a power supplier in modern grids, not only as a power consumer.

The general infrastructure of smart homes consists of control centres, resources of electricity, smart meters and communication tools, as shown in Fig. 1 . Each component of the smart-home model will be discussed in the following subsections.

Infrastructure of SHEMS source

2.1 The control centre

The control centre provides home users with proper units to monitor and control different home appliances [ 15 ]. All real-time data are collected by SHEMS to optimize the demand/generation coordination and verify the predefined objectives. The main functions of the control centre can be summarized as follows [ 15 ]:

(i) collecting data from different meters, homeowners’ commands and grid utility via a proper communication system;

(ii) providing proper monitoring and analysing of home-energy consumption for homeowners;

(iii) coordinating between different appliances and resources to satisfy the optimal solution for predefined objectives.

2.2 Smart meter

The smart meter receives a demand-response signal from power utilities as an input to the SHEMS system [ 16 , 17 ]. Recently, advanced smart-metering infrastructures can monitor many home features such as electrical consumption, gas, water and heating [ 18 ].

2.3 Appliances

Smart-home loads can be divided according to their operating nature into two categories: schedulable and non-schedulable loads. Non-schedulable loads are operated occasionally according to the homeowner’s desires without any predictable operating patterns, such as printers, televisions and hairdryers, whereas schedulable loads have a predictable operating pattern that can be shifted or controlled via SHEMS, such as washing machines and air conditioners [ 19 ].

According to [ 19 ], controllable devices are also classified into interruptible and non-interruptible load according to the effect of supply interruption on their tasks. Electric vehicles (EVs) can be considered as an exceptional load [ 20 , 21 ]. EVs have two operating modes: charging and discharging. Therefore, EVs are interruptible schedulable loads during the charging mode. Moreover, EV battery energy can also be discharged to supply power to the grid during critical events, which is known as vehicle-to-grid [ 22 ]. By SHEMS, EVs can participate in supplying loads during high-priced power periods. In low-priced power periods, EVs restore their energy from the grid [ 23 , 24 ].

2.4 Resources of electricity

Solar and wind plants are the most mature renewable-energy sources in modern grids. Nowadays, many buildings have installed photovoltaic (PV) modules, thermal solar heaters or micro wind turbines. For smart homes, various functions can be supplied by solar energy besides generating electricity, such as a solar water heater (SWH), solar dryer and solar cooler [ 25 ]. Moreover, PV plants are cheap with low requirements of maintenance [ 26 ], whereas hot water produced by SWHs can be used in many home functions, such as washing and cooking, which increases the home-energy efficiency [ 27 ].

Energy storage may be considered as the cornerstone for any SHEMS. SHEMS are usually installed with energy-storage systems (ESSs) to manage their stored energy according to predefined objectives. Many energy-storage technologies are available in the power markets. Batteries and fuel cells are the most compatible energy-storage types of smart-home applications [ 28 ]. A fuel-cell structure is very similar to a battery. During the charging process, hydrogen fuel cells use electricity to produce hydrogen. Hydrogen feeds the fuel cell to create electricity during the discharging process. Fuel cells have relatively low efficiency compared to batteries. Fuel cells provide extra clean storage environments with the capability of storing extra hydrogen tanks. That perfectly matches isolated homes in remote areas [ 29 ].

Although wind energy is more economical for large-scale plants, it has a very limited market for micro wind turbines in homes. Typically, micro wind turbines require at least a wind speed of 2.7 m/s to generate minimum power, 25 m/s for rated power and 40 m/s for continuous generated power [ 30 ]. A micro wind turbine is relatively expensive, intermittent and needs special maintenance requirements and constraints compared to a solar plant [ 31 ].

Recently, biomass energy has been a promising renewable resource alternative for smart homes. Many pieces of research have recommended biomass energy for different types of buildings [ 32 ]. Heating is the main function of biomass in smart homes, as discussed in [ 33 , 34 ]. In addition, a biomass-fuelled generation system is examined for many buildings [ 35 , 36 ].

2.5 Communication schemes

Recently, communication systems are installed as built-in modules in smart homes. Both home users and grid operators will be able to monitor and control several home appliances in the near future to satisfy the optimum home-energy profile while preserving a comfortable lifestyle. Therefore, both wired and wireless communication schemes are utilized, which is known as a home area network (HAN), to cover remote-control signals as home occupants’ ones. Fig. 1 shows an example of a HAN that consists of Wi-Fi and cloud computing networks for both indoor and outdoor data exchange, respectively [ 37 , 38 ].

Energy-management systems for homes require three main components: the computational embedded controllers, the local-area network communication middleware and the transmission control protocol/internet protocol (TCP/IP) communication for wide-area integration with the utility company using wide-area network communication [ 37 ].

According to home characteristics, many wired communication schemes can be selected, such as power-line communication (PLC), inter-integrated circuit (I2C) and serial peripheral interface or wireless technologies such as Zigbee, Wi-Fi, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and the Internet of Things (IoT) to develop HANs. A few of the most common techniques will be discussed briefly in the following subsections [ 38 ].

PLC is a technique that uses power lines to transmit both power and data via the same cable to customers simultaneously. Such wired schemes provide fast communication with low interference of data. Moreover, PLC provides many communication terminals, as all power plugs can be used for data transferring. As all electrical home devices are connected by power cables, PLC can communicate with all these devices via the same cable.

PLC set-up has a low cost, as it uses pre-installed power cables with minimum hardware requirements. With a PLC communication scheme, home controllers can also be integrated easily with a high speed of data transfer. On the other hand, PLC has a high probability of data-signal attenuation. Furthermore, data signals suffer from electromagnetic interference of transmitted power signals.

2.5.2 Zigbee

Zigbee is a wireless communication technique [ 37–46 ]. Zigbee follows the IEEE 802.15.4 standard as a radio-frequency wireless communication scheme. It does not require any licenses for limited zones such as homes [ 37 ]. Also, Zigbee is a low-power-consuming technique. Therefore, it is suitable for basic home appliances, such as lighting, alarm systems and air conditioners [ 39 , 40 ]. Zigbee usually considers all home devices as slaves with a master coordinator/controller, which is known as a master–slave architecture.

Zigbee provides highly secured transferred data [ 38 , 41 ] with high reliability and capacity [ 42 ]. It also has self-organizing capabilities [ 42 ]. Conversely, Zigbee is relatively expensive due to special hardware requirements with low data-transfer rates. Moreover, Zigbee is not compatible with many other protocols, such as internet-supported protocols and Wi-Fi.

2.5.3 Wi-Fi technology

Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technique that follows the IEEE 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi provides high-rate data transfer that is compatible with many information-based devices such as computers, laptops, etc. [ 43 , 44 ].

Wi-Fi is a highly secured scheme with many of the familiar internet capabilities and low data-transfer delays (<3 ms) [ 45 ]. On the contrary, it is a relatively high-power-consuming scheme compared to Zigbee schemes [ 45 ]. Also, home devices can affect transmitted data signals by their emitted electromagnetic fields [ 46 ]. Wi-Fi can also suffer from interference from other communication protocols such as Zigbee and Bluetooth [ 43 ].

RFID is a wireless communication technique that conforms to the electronic product code protocol [ 47–52 ]. It can coincide with other communication schemes such as Wi-Fi and Zigbee. It can be utilized for a relatively widespread range of frequencies, from 120 kHz to 10 GHz. It also covers a wide range of distances, from 10 cm to 200 m [ 48 ]. Many researchers are investigating RFID home applications, such as energy-management systems [ 49 ], door locks [ 50 ] and lighting controls [ 51 ].

RFID operates on tags and reader-identification systems with a high data-transfer rate. Nevertheless, RFID has expensive chips with low bandwidth. The possibility of tag collision within the same zone decreases the accuracy of the RFID scheme.

This scheme connects home devices, users and grid operators via the internet to monitor and manage smart homes [ 6 , 38 , 53–65 ]. Consequently, the IoT and cloud computing have proven to be cheap, popular and easy services for smart homes. Moreover, IoT schemes are compatible with many other communication protocols, such as Zigbee, Bluetooth, etc., as listed in Table 1 . Internet hacking is the main problem with IoT schemes. System security and privacy are critical challenges for such internet-based schemes.

IoT protocols features

Today, building energy-management systems (BEMS) are utilized within residential, commercial, administration and industrial buildings. Moreover, the integration of variable renewable-energy sources with proper ESSs deployed in buildings represents an essential need for reliable, efficient BEMS.

For small-scale residential buildings or ‘homes’, BEMS should deal with variable uncertain load behaviours according to the home occupants’ desires and requirements, which is known as SHEMS. Throughout recent decades, many SHEMS have been presented and defined in many research studies.

In [ 66 ], SHEMS are defined as services that efficiently monitor and manage electricity generation, storage and consumption in smart houses. Nazabal et al. [ 67 ] include a collaborative exchange between smart homes and the utility as a main function of SHEMS. In [ 68 ], SHEMS are defined from the electrical-grid point of view as important tools that provide several benefits such as flattening the load curve, a reduction in peak demand and meeting the demand-side requirements.

3.1 Functions of SHEMS

Adaptive SHEMS are required to conserve power, especially with the increasing evolution in home loads. SHEMS should control both home appliances and available energy resources according to the real-time tariff and home user’s requirements [ 4 ]. Home-management schemes should provide an interface platform between home occupants and the home controller to readjust occasionally the load priority [ 5 ].

As shown in Fig. 2 , the majority of smart-home centres can be summarized as having five main functions [ 5 ], as follows:

Functions of SHEMS

(i) Monitoring: provides home residents with visual instantaneous information about the consumed power of different appliances and the status of several home parameters such as temperature, lights, etc. Furthermore, it can guide users to available alternatives for saving energy according to the existing operating modes of different home appliances.

(ii) Logging: collects and saves data pertaining to the amount of electricity consumed by each appliance, generated out of energy-conservation states. This functionality includes analysing the demand response for real-time prices.

(iii) Control: both direct and remote-control schemes can be implemented in smart homes. Different home appliances are controlled directly by SHEMS to match the home users’ desires, whereas other management functions are controlled remotely via cell phones or laptops, such as logging and controlling the power consumption of interruptible devices.

(iv) Management: the main function of SHEMS. It concerns the coordination between installed energy sources such as PV modules, micro wind turbines, energy storage and home appliances to optimize the total system efficiency and/or increase economic benefits.

(v) Alarms: SHEMS should respond to specific threats or faults by generating proper alarms according to fault locations, types, etc.

3.2 Economic analysis

Economic factors affecting home-management systems are classified into two classes. First, sizing costs include expanses of smart-home planning. Second, operating costs consist of bills of consumed energy. These costs depend mainly on the electrical tariff.

3.2.1 Sizing costs

These include capital, maintenance and replacement costs of smart-home infrastructures, such as PV systems, wind turbines, batteries/fuel cells and communication systems. In most previous SHEMS, such planning costs usually are not taken into consideration, as management schemes usually concern the daily operating costs only [ 69 ].

3.2.2 Operating costs

The electricity tariff is the main factor that gives an indication of the value of saving energy, according to the governmental authority; there are many types of tariffs, as follows [ 70–74 ]:

(i) Flat tariffs: the cost of consumed energy is constant regardless of the continuous change in the load. Load-rescheduling schemes do not affect the electricity bills in this scheme. Therefore, homeowners are not encouraged to rearrange their consumed energy, as they have no any economic benefits from managing the consumption of their appliances.

(ii) Block-rate tariffs: in this scheme, the monthly consumed energy price is classified into different categories. Each category has its own flat-rate price. Therefore, the main target of SHEMS is minimizing the total monthly consumed energy to avoid the risk of high-priced categories.

(iii) Seasonal tariffs: in this scheme, the total grid-demand load is changed significantly from one season to another. Therefore, the utility grid applies a high flat-rate tariff in high-demand seasons and vice versa. SHEMS should minimize the total consumption in such high-priced seasons and get the benefit of consumption in low-priced seasons.

(iv) Time-of-use (TOU) tariff: there are two or three predefined categories of tariffs daily in this scheme. First, a high-priced-hours tariff is applied during high-demand hours, which is known as a peak-hours tariff. Second, an off-peak-hours tariff is applied during low-demand hours with low prices for energy consumption. Sometimes, three levels of pricing are defined by the utility grid during the day, i.e. off-, middle- and high-peak costs, as discussed in [ 75 ]. SHEMS shift interruptible loads with low priority to off-peak hours to minimize the bill.

(v) Super peak TOU: this can be considered as a special case of the previously described TOU tariff but with a short peak-hours period of ~4 hours daily.

(vi) Critical peak pricing (CPP): the utility grid uses this tariff scheme during expected critical events of increasing the gap between generation and power demand. The price is increased exceptionally during these critical events by a constant predefined rate.

(vii) Variable peak pricing: this is a subcategory of the CPP tariff in which the exceptional increase in the tariff is variable. The utility grid informs consumers of the exceptional dynamic price increase according to its initial expectations.

(viii) Real-time pricing (RTP): the price is changing continuously during pre-identified intervals that range from several minutes to an hour. This tariff is the riskiest pricing scheme for homeowners. The electricity bill can increase significantly without a proper management system. SHEMS should communicate with grid utility and reschedule both home appliances, sources and energy storage continuously to minimize the total bill.

(viii) Peak-time rebates (PTRs): a proper price discount is considered for low-consumption loads during peak hours, which can be refunded later by the grid.

Depending on the electricity tariff, SHEMS complexity varies dramatically. In the case of using a flat-rate tariff, the algorithm becomes simpler, as one value is recorded for selling or buying the electricity. Tariffs may be published from the proper authority or predicted according to historical data. Prediction of the dynamic tariff is a main step in any SHEMS. Many time frames of tariff prediction are proposed that vary from hourly, daily or even a yearly prediction. Many optimization techniques with various objective functions are proposed to handle different features of both smart-home infrastructures and electricity tariffs, as will be discussed in the following section.

3.3 Pre-proposed SHEMS

Different SHEMS may be classified according to four features: operational planning of load-scheduling techniques, system objective functions, optimization techniques and smart-home model characteristics, as will be discussed in the following subsections.

3.3.1 Load-scheduling techniques

SHEMS concern the generation/load power balance to provide a comfortable lifestyle with the minimum possible costs. Scheduling loads according to their priority and the periods of renewable energy (solar, wind and EV state) can help in reducing the overall energy consumption daily. According to data collected by the management system, an initial load schedule is suggested daily to minimize the daily cost of consumed energy [ 76 ].

By using a proper optimal scheduling algorithm, electricity bills can be reduced by shifting loads from high-priced to low-priced intervals [ 77 , 78 ]. Many techniques have been proposed for home load scheduling, as will be discussed in the following subsections:

(i) Rule-based scheduling: in this algorithm, all home appliances and resources are connected to smart data-collector taps. By processing the collected data, different appliances are scheduled according to their priorities and based on the if/then rule. Also, some high-priority loads are supplied by home renewable sources/storage to maintain their function during predicted peak hours [ 79 , 80 ].

(ii) Artificial intelligence (AI): many AI controllers have been proposed for home load scheduling, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), fuzzy logic (FL) and adaptive neural fuzzy inference systems (ANFISs). Table 2 compares between the three types of scheduling scheme based on AI.

Optimization techniques for load scheduling

3.3.2 Objective functions

(i) Single-objective techniques: in these schemes, only one criterion is minimized or maximized according to the home-user requirements. Several minimization objective functions were proposed, as follows:

lifetime degradation [ 47–49 ];

life-cycle costs [ 93 ];

gas emissions [ 94–96 ];

both active and reactive losses [ 97 , 98 ].

On the other hand, some research defined other single maximizing objective functions, such as:

net present value [ 96 ].

economic profits [ 97 , 98 ].

increased system reliability: according to many well-known reliability indices, such as loss of power supply probability, loss of load probability and others [ 99 , 100 ].

generated power [ 101 , 102 ].

loadability [ 103 ];

Multi-objective techniques: homeowners may have several criteria to be optimized together. Multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems consider many functions simultaneously. MOO finds a proper coordination that moderately satisfies the considered objectives. In [ 102 ], SHEMS with MOO techniques are summarized. Table 3 lists some examples of such multi-objective functions.

Multi-objective functions of SHEMS

3.3.3 Optimization techniques

Optimization techniques aim usually to identify the best coordination taking into consideration predefined constraints. Many approaches are available for addressing optimization problems. These approaches can be classified into two categories: classical and AI-based techniques. Table 4 lists various SHEMS optimization techniques and their main features.

Optimization techniques in SHEMS

Classical methods, especially linear programming types, have been usually applied in the last decade for smart homes with limited objective functions and simple model characteristics of tariff and home appliances. Recently, AI-based techniques have been proposed to cover more complicated models of smart homes with multi-objective functions with high levels of comfortable lifestyles.

3.3.4 Home-model characteristics

The smart-home model differs significantly according to three factors: installed variable energy sources, applied tariff and EV deployment. PV systems have been applied for nearly all studied smart homes due to their low price, simplicity of installation, low maintenance requirements and easily predicted daily power profile. On the other hand, a few pieces of research have considered micro wind turbines in their home models, such as [ 120 ]. Wind turbines are limited by high-wind-speed zones that are usually located in rural areas. In addition, homeowners usually do not prefer wind turbines due to their high prices, mechanical maintenance requirements and the unpredictable variation in wind power.

Dynamic tariffs are applied in most smart-home research. Specifically, the TOU tariff is analysed in a lot of studies, such as [ 121 , 122 ], whereas little research uses RTP, such as [ 123 , 124 ]. EV is studied as an energy source in the parking period or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) mode. In [ 75 , 125 ], EV in V2G mode reduces the electricity bill in peak hours, whereas, in [ 126–130 ], ESSs are managed only to reduce the electricity usage from the grid.

Many technical challenges arise for modern grids due to the increasing mutual exchange between smart homes and utility grids, especially power-quality control. Electric-power-quality studies usually confirm the acceptable behaviour of electrical sources such as voltage limits and harmonics analysis. Recently, smart power grids have diverse generation sources from different technologies that depend mainly on power electronics devices that increase the difficulty in power-quality control. Power-quality constraints should be taken into consideration for any energy-management systems to provide harmony between modern sources and loads.

On the other hand, power-quality issues should not form an additional obstacle against the integration of new technologies in modern grids. Therefore, both advanced communication schemes and AI-based techniques make modern grids ‘smart’ enough to cope with selective power-quality management. Smart homes exchange power with utility grids. With the prospective increase in such smart homes, the effect of their behaviour should be studied and controlled. Smart homes affect the grid-power quality in three different areas, as will be discussed in the following paragraphs [ 154–156 ].

4.1 Generating equipment

Integrated micro generation schemes in smart homes are mainly single-phase sources based on inverters with high switching frequencies that reach to many kHz. Low-order harmonics of such a generation type can usually be disregarded. However, with the expected continuous increase in such micro generators, the harmonics of low-voltage networks may shift into a range of higher frequencies, perhaps from 2 to 9 kHz [ 157 ]. Therefore, more research is needed to re-evaluate the appropriate limits for generation equipment in smart homes. Moreover, single-phase generation increases the risk of an unbalanced voltage in low-voltage grids. Therefore, negative-sequence voltage limits should be re-evaluated particularly for weak distribution networks. Also, a need for zero-sequence voltage limits may arise [ 154 ].

4.2 Home appliances

Modern home appliances depend mainly on electronic devices, such as newer LED lighting systems, EV battery chargers, etc., with relatively low fundamental current and high harmonic contents compared to traditional ones. According to many power-system analysers, many harmonics will increase significantly to risky levels, particularly fifth-harmonic voltage, with increase in such new electronic appliances [ 155 ].

4.3 Distribution network

In future grids, significant unusual operating scenarios may be possible with high penetration of domestic generation, especially with the possibility of an islanded (self-balanced) operation of smart homes. Short-circuit power will differ significantly during different operating conditions compared to classical grids. Moreover, low-voltage networks may suffer from damping-stability problems due to the continuous decrease in resistive loads, in conjunction with the increase in capacitive loads of electronic equipment. In addition, resonance problems may occur with low frequencies according to the continuous change in the nature of the load [ 156 ].

Although smart homes have bad impacts on utility grids, there are no charges applied from the grid authority to homeowners based on their buildings’ effects on grid-power quality. Therefore, home planners and SHEMS designers are usually concerned only with the economic benefits of their proposed schemes.

Smart homes, using new revolutions in communication systems and AI, provide residential houses with electrical power of a dual nature, i.e. as producer and consumer or ‘prosumer’. The energy-management system includes many components that mainly depend on a suitable communication scheme to coordinate between available sources, loads and users’ desire. Among many proposed communication systems, the IoT has many advantages and was chosen in many studies. Besides the popularity of the IoT, it does not need any special equipment installation and is compatible with many other communications protocols.

Many functions are applied by management systems such as monitoring and logging to facilitate a proper interaction between home occupants and the management scheme. Home security also should be confirmed via the management scheme by using different alarms corresponding to preset threats. Home users control different home appliances according their desires by SHEMS and via cell phones or manually.

The electricity tariff plays an important role in defining management-system characteristics. Tariffs vary from simple fixed flat rates to complicated variable dynamic ones according to the electrical-grid authority’s rules for residential loads. According to the tariff and selected objective functions, pre-proposed optimization techniques vary significantly from simple classical linear programming to sophisticated AI ones.

Modern electronic-based home appliances increase power-grid-quality problems, such as high harmonic contents, unbalanced loading and unpredictable short-circuit currents. On the other hand, power-grid authorities do not charge homeowners according to their buildings’ effects on the power quality. Therefore, all proposed energy-management systems are concerned mainly with the economic profits from reducing electricity consumption or even selling electrical power to the utility grids. In the future, price-based power-quality constraints should be defined by the grid authorities to confirm proper power exchange between both smart homes and grids. A possible future direction is behaviour modelling of aggregated smart homes/smart cities in different operating scenarios to conclude probable power-grid scenarios for stability and quality.

This work was supported by the project entitled ‘Smart Homes Energy Management Strategies’, Project ID: 4915, JESOR-2015-Cycle 4, which is sponsored by the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT), Cairo, Egypt.

None declared.

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Smart Home: Definition, How They Work, Pros and Cons

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Investopedia / Mira Norian

A smart home refers to a convenient home setup where appliances and devices can be automatically controlled remotely from anywhere with an internet connection using a mobile or other networked device. Devices in a smart home are interconnected through the internet, allowing the user to control functions such as security access to the home, temperature, lighting, and a home theater remotely.

Key Takeaways

• A smart home allows homeowners to control appliances, thermostats, lights, and other devices remotely using a smartphone or tablet through an internet connection.
• Smart homes can be set up through wireless or hardwired systems.
• Smart home technology provides homeowners with convenience and cost savings.
• Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of smart home technology.
• Though full-scale home automation may cost thousands of dollars, smaller individual products costing less than $100 can get homeowners started on smart home products.

A smart home’s devices are connected with each other and can be accessed through one central point—a smartphone , tablet, laptop, or game console. Door locks, televisions, thermostats, home monitors, cameras, lights, and even appliances such as the refrigerator can be controlled through one home automation system. The system is installed on a mobile or other networked device, and the user can create time schedules for certain changes to take effect.

Smart home appliances come with self-learning skills so they can learn the homeowner’s schedules and make adjustments as needed. Smart homes enabled with lighting control allow homeowners to reduce electricity use and benefit from energy-related cost savings. Some home automation systems alert the homeowner if any motion is detected in the home when they're away, while others can call the authorities—police or the fire department—in case of imminent situations.

Once connected, services such as a smart doorbell, smart security system, and smart appliances are all part of the internet of things (IoT) technology, a network of physical objects that can gather and share electronic information.

Security and efficiency are the main reasons behind the increase in smart home technology use.

Smart homes can feature either wireless or hardwired systems—or both. Wireless systems are easier to install. Putting in a wireless home automation system with features such as smart lighting, climate control, and security can cost several thousand dollars, making it very cost-friendly.

The downside to wireless systems is you likely need strong Wi-Fi coverage and broadband service throughout your entire house. This may require you to invest in range extenders or hardwired wireless access points. Wireless smart home systems are generally more appropriate for smaller existing homes or rental properties due to their smaller size.

Hardwired systems, on the other hand, are considered more reliable and are typically more difficult to hack. A hardwired system can increase the resale value of a home. In addition, hardwired smart home systems can easily be scaled; therefore, it is often the default method when designing a new build or performing a major renovation.

There is a drawback—it's fairly expensive. Installing a luxury and hardwired smart system can cost homeowners tens of thousands of dollars. In addition, you must have space for network hardware equipment including Ethernet cables.

Smart home products now allow for greater control over heating devices including when products are turned on, turned off, and controlled. Smart products may be armed with temperature or humidity sensors to automatically turn on or off if certain criteria are met. This line of smart home innovations also extends to air conditioners.

Often with the use of a mobile phone, table, or custom remote specific to a product, lighting products now enhance the capabilities of homeowners. Lights can be switched on and off, placed on a schedule, or set to change based on sunrise or sunset times. Like some more traditional products, lights can often set to change based on motion. Smart bulbs can communicate over Wi-Fi and display statistics or metrics to your phone.

This lighting category may also contain smart home products that control or prevent light. Automatic blinds may be installed and set to close based on sunrise schedules. Alternatively, electronic curtains allow users to manage their blinds using a handheld device.

Audio/Visual

One of the more fun aspects of smart homes, many entertainment products are now heavily connected to each other and can be controlled with a single remote. Television and speakers now have greater capabilities to be played on command using applications, including being maintained on a schedule or being voice-controllable.

One of the most reasonable aspects of a smart home is the enhanced security capabilities. Many products now have camera capabilities that track motion, capture video, or allow for live video feeds. This may be installed to sync with a ringing doorbell or set to display on certain areas of your property. These videos may allow for video-calling with the individual at your door, including audio capabilities.

Many smart homes are also refit with modern security kits. This includes motion sensor detectors when individuals should not be home, home monitoring, notifications and alerts of suspicious behavior, and the ability to lock doors or windows remotely using a phone.

A very large section of smart homes relates to digital assistants or home hubs. These products are often interacted with using your voice and can take commands, field questions, organize your calendar, schedule conference calls , or provide alerts. Though not specifically related to one's home, these digital assistants provide a broad range of controlling smart assets, their schedules, and their statuses.

Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors not only sound an alarm but can be synced to your phone to alert you should you be away from your property. These devices can often be set up to send emergency notifications to specified contacts.

Automated irrigation systems have had the ability to be programmed for a while. Now, smart irrigation systems field climate and environmental conditions an factor those traits into existing water schedules. Smart irrigation systems monitor moisture-related conditions and strive to conserve water.

When budgeting for smart home products, consider any required or necessary labor/installation costs from professionals.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Smart Homes

Installing a smart home technology system provides homeowners with convenience. Rather than controlling appliances, thermostats, lighting, and other features using different devices, homeowners can control them all using one device—usually a smartphone or tablet.

Since they're connected to a portable device, users can get notifications and updates on issues in their homes. For instance, smart doorbells allow homeowners to see and communicate with people who come to their doors even when they're not at home. Users can set and control the internal temperature, lighting, and appliances as well.

For the cost of setting up the smart system, homeowners can benefit from significant cost savings . Appliances and electronics can be used more efficiently, lowering energy costs.

While the smart home offers convenience and cost savings, there are still challenges. Security risks and bugs continue to plague makers and users of the technology. Adept hackers, for example, can gain access to a smart home's internet-enabled appliances. For example, in October 2016, a botnet called Mirai infiltrated interconnected devices of DVRs, cameras, and routers to bring down a host of major websites through a denial of service attack , also known as a DDoS attack.

Measures to mitigate the risks of such attacks include protecting smart appliances and devices with a strong password, using encryption when available, and only connecting trusted devices to one's network.

As noted above, the costs of installing smart technology can run anywhere from a few thousand dollars for a wireless system to tens of thousands of dollars for a hardwired system. It's a heavy price to pay, especially since there may be a steep learning curve to get used to the system for everyone in the household.

Smart Homes

Are often more convenient than traditional methods of scheduling, controlling, or accessing products

May enhance security due to notifications or alerts

Offers multiple ways of performing a certain task (i.e. lights can be manually turned on or scheduled)

May result in long-term cost savings when considering efficient energy use

May pose security risk as products are connected to networks and can be hacked

May require additional work for homeowner to track additional passwords and monitor product security

Are often more expensive than their less smart counterpart products

May result in steep learning curve, especially for those not technologically-savvy

Home Much Does a Smart Home Cost?

On one hand, more and more smart home products being brought to market will continually put pressure on manufacturers, competition, and product prices. On the other hand, these incredible innovations are continually expanding what they are capable of and may be assessed price premiums. When considering smart home products, perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the price exceeds the convenience.

According to HomeAdvisor, it may cost up to $15,000 to fully automate a four-bedroom, three-bath home. Average total home automation costs is just under $800, though fully-connected luxury homes may run into the six figures.

In general, a smart home can start by being very focused on a specific product or room. This strategy allows individuals to invest in smart technology for minimal capital. Consider the following options priced at less than $100 as of January 2024:

• Google Nest Mini, the home audio and assistant device
• Amazon Smart Plug, a method of automating appliances
• Ring Smart Doorbell, a video-enabled camera for home security
• Wyze Thermostat, a digital, wireless, programmable heating device

On the other hand, larger smart home technologies (with more capabilities) often cost thousands of dollars. For example, Vivant's Premium Plus Package for home security cost over $2,300 at writing. Alternatively, the LG 31 cubic foot Door-in-Door smart refrigerator could be had for a little over $8,000.

What Is In a Smart Home?

Smart homes can choose to have smart speakers, lights, thermostats, doorbells, or home hubs. Smart technology can also extend to kitchen appliances or outdoor or landscaping equipment. New innovations are continually evolving what is in a smart home.

Why Is a Smart Home Important?

A smart home is important because it allows a household to become more energy efficient. In addition, it allows a household to save time and perform tasks more efficiently. A smart home is important because of the convenience it provides over traditional methods of performing tasks.

Can a Smart Home Be Hacked?

Yes. Because home automation often requires a live network connect, home automation systems can be hacked if the security protocol of the smart home product has inadequate security protocols. In addition, individuals must take additional care to not share or disclose sensitive log-in information as these devices may require a password or personal device access to control.

Is a Smart Home Worth It?

Investing in a smart home is a cost-benefit analysis that often requires an upfront investment to equip your house with the appropriate products. In addition, there is the cost of needing to train yourself and become competent in understanding how to use the products. However, the benefits of saving time performing tasks as well as potential utility cost savings may make a smart home worth it.

Leveraging innovation and technology, smart homes make it easier to do things. Whether it is controlling applications using your phone or scheduling products to perform tasks at certain times, smart homes have revolutionized the way individuals do things, consume energy, and interact with their home products.

Stolojescu-Crisan, Cristina and et al. " An IoT-Based Smart Home Automation System ." Sensors (Basel) , vol. 21, no. 11, June 2021.

Setayeshfar, Omid and et al. " Privacy Invasion via Smart-Home Hub in Personal Area Networks ." Pervasive and Mobile Computing , vol. 85, September 2022.

Antonakakis, Manos and et al. " Understanding the Mirai Botnet ." Proceedings of the 26th USENIX Security Symposium, August 2017, pp. 1093-1110.

HomeAdvisor. " How Much Does a Smart Home Cost? "

Google. " Nest Mini ."

Amazon. " Amazon Smart Plug | Works with Alexa ."

Ring. " Ring's Best-Selling Doorbell ."

Wyze. " Wyze Thermostat ."

Vivint. " Start Building the Ultimate Smart Home ."

LG. " LG SIGNATURE 31 cu. ft. Smart Wi-Fi Enabled InstaView Door-in-Door Refrigerator ."

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Smart House System Technology Explained

Introduction, energy management, security system, lighting system, smart appliances, entertainment, emergency management.

Smart House is a term used to describe a house that has Computer Controlled Automation System that controls various functions in a house such as appliances and lighting. This system employs smart technology allowing for networking of appliances hence enabling access and operation of the appliances from any part of the network. The system can be used in monitoring, warning and carrying out various functions according to selected criteria. The smart technology enables automatic communication via the mobiles phones, the internet and the fixed telephones.

Smart technology makes use of different electronics components, performing different functions. These components are divided into the following general groups:

• Sensors: for monitoring and submitting any changes, examples are humidity sensor, smoke detectors, movement and heat sensors, thermometers etc.
• Actuators: These components perform physical actions; examples are automatic light switches, relays and door and window openers.
• Controllers: these components make choice based on occurrences and programmed rules.
• Central units: Used in programming and making changes to a system, a good example is a computer.
• Interface: These are components which help user to communicate with the system.

The most important aspects to be taken care of for a house to be considered smart are:

• Energy management
• Emergency management
• Smart appliances.

Smart houses are considered very efficient in energy management.Electronics devices are installed in the house to monitor the usage of the energy and the number of people in the house at a particular time for energy regulation. When there is no one in the house, the temperatures settings are lowered automatically and all the appliances and lights that are not in use are turned off. The energy management system also controls heating system, fans and air conditioners in a way that will save energy. The smart house energy system also automatically turns off energy from an outlet that is not being used.

Smart house energy management system helps in saving energy cost by up to 65% compared to a house where energy usage is controlled manually.

A smart house is far much secure as it is easy to protect making it hard to break in than the current house. Alarm systems, similar in application to car alarm are installed in a smart house. The security system put the house in security mode, automatically shutting all windows and doors.

The smart house security system is programmed for a single day use or for a long time when the owner of the house is in a long trip or vacation. In this case, the security system is set to open the curtains and turn on and off the lights, making it look like there is a person in the house.

As part of the security system, surveillance cameras are installed and hidden around the house. These camera are monitored over the internet and the house owner can check at all aspects of the house include burglars and other unusual happening around and inside the house.

Smart house employs lighting system that makes the house safe and easier to live in by use of programmable lights or remotely accessed lighting system. With programmable lighting system, the house owner programs the lights to come on of off at a specific time and even dim depending with the mood. A central computer is used to turn specific lights at a specific time during the night. This helps in deterring criminals, hence improving security. With remote access, lights can be controlled remotely from any where inside or outside the house using mobile phones or PDAs.

For a house to be considered smart, smart appliances are installed to make use of the smart technology. The appliances are networked in the system to perform specific task at a given time.

Examples of smart appliances include remote controlled coffee maker which brews coffee just before the house owner wakes up. The coffee maker is linked to an alarm to wake up the house owner when the coffee is ready. A smart refrigerator automatically adjusts the temperatures inside based on the temperature of food inside. These smart appliances are connected to a computer which automatically turns the appliances on and off.

Smart appliances make the life of people calmer and better structured as the technology make planning of the day easier. This tranquility help people to concentrate on a specific task as other tasks are being carried on without a lot of monitoring and intervention.

Smart entertainment systems are designed to controls the way home entertainment system including the TV and Home theatre system functions. Smart TV user have the ability to change channels by either speaking or accessing the TV via the internet, instructing it on what to record and at what time. Ultra Thin rear projections TVs have been developed using Digital Light Technology (DLP), they have massive screen sizes, and they are slim and light enough to hang on the wall.

Smart internet enabled home theatres system stream music from multiple computers on the internet and store in an internal hard drives. This home theatre can be accessed remotely over the internet to control almost all aspects of the system.

A smart house emergency system is designed in a way that it will inform house occupant where there is an emergency and at the same time contact the relevant authority on the emergency for a quick response. If there is fire for example, the fire detector sends a signal to the central computer which triggers the alarm and at the same time make a call to the fire department.

Another example is when there is a gas leakage in the house; the emergency control system will shut down the main gas supply and turn off all electrical appliances to prevent any fire out break. The system will then turn on the alarm and send a signal to the house owner informing them on the gas leak though the mobile phone or through the internet to a personal computer.

Smart houses are the choice for most people as they improve the lives of people in a great way making it easier to live because of the convenience and safety they offer. With automatic smart appliances, people are able to plan their time and concentrate on important tasks in their lives.

Chris D. Nugent (2006) Smart Home and Beyond, IOS Publishers, United States.

David Heckman (2008) A Small World: Smart Houses and the Dream of the Perfect Day, Duke University Press, United Kingdom.

Richard Harper (2003) Inside the Smart Home, Springer Publishers, New York.

Smart House: Your wish is Their command, Web.

Smart House: The so called Sci-Fi Life, Web.

Smart House Designs, Web.

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• Research Article
• Open access
• Published: 06 May 2021

The social issues of smart home: a review of four European cities’ experiences

• Saeid Pira   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8176-4226 1  

European Journal of Futures Research volume  9 , Article number:  3 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

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Metrics details

The urban industrialization trend and the increasing urban population have posed global and local concerns related to urban management. Today, scientists introduce the “smart city” concept, among many others. The primary concept purpose is to empower cities to enhance the quality of life of their residents. To achieve this, one of the smart city components named “smart living” has a direct connection to citizens’ quality of life. This research aims to analyze the smart home as one of the sub-components of smart living. Consequently, based on the “smart home” residents’ viewpoint, the main question is which social barriers are more critical?

To achieve this essay’s objectives, the researcher conducts three phases: data collection, analysis based on the constructed conceptual model, and results. The researcher selected four leading smart cities in Europe, including Copenhagen, Berlin, London, and Barcelona, as case studies. The study collected primary data by cluster-random sampling by utilizing a questionnaire survey with 320 participants. In conclusion, according to the inhabitants, the research results list the most significant social challenges in smart homes. Eventually, suggestions offer for reducing the side effect of living in a smart home.

Introduction

The world has witnessed an increasing accumulation of its people in urban areas since 1990. This trend is not new and represents a substantial increase in urban residents’ number, from an approximate average of 57 million between 1990 and 2000 to 77 million between 2010 and 2015 [ 1 ]. It poses significant challenges for the environment and social sustainability. Also, the contemporary structure of cities is a source of environmental and social dilemmas. Cities consumed approximately 70% of the world’s resources and are also significant users of energy resources. Hence, they became the main contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The growth of the urban population and the intensity of economic and social activities are triggering this crisis. It is also a consequence of the built environment inefficiency. Current research in urban and academic circles focuses on sustainability in urban planning. Besides, they try to address the main urbanization challenges and the unsustainability of existing structures [ 2 ]. The smart cities concept emerged as an appropriate solution to this unprecedented urbanization and the need for sustainability. Therefore, this idea attracted plenty of academic interests in this field [ 3 ]. The International Telecommunication Union Focus Group on Smart Sustainable Cities (ITU-T FG-SSC) introduced a definition, which reads as follows: “A Smart Sustainable City is an innovative city that uses Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, the efficiency of urban operation and services, and competitiveness while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations concerning economic, social, environmental as well as cultural aspects” [ 4 ]. One of the components of the smart city concept is “smart living.” I will explain these criteria in the following sections. The smart home is one of the essential sub-components of this component, which splits into two sections: (1) state-of-the-art technologies and applications and (2) the behavior of the residents who live in these homes. It is crucial to note that city dwellers have contradictory comments about smart home applications. According to the research findings, the way to overcome the social barrier and to communicate with state-of-the-art technologies is the key worry of smart home residents. This research aims to find the most concerning social issues for smart homeowners. For this purpose, four European cities (Barcelona, Copenhagen, Berlin, and London) select as case studies. Finally, this study suggests several recommendations to reduce identified social issues.

Literature review

The idea of smart cities was rooted in the 1970s when a digital configuration based on technology and non-material structures embedded in the urban physical spaces. Afterward, the new aspects of everyday life have been concentrating on more complex innovations. Broadband networks and collective intelligence determining the city development supported these new technologies [ 5 , 6 ]. There are different views regarding the origin of the concept of “smart city” in the literature. According to Caragliu et al. (2009), “The city could be smart when investments in human and social resources combined with traditional and modern ICT infrastructures boost sustainable economic growth and high quality of life, with wise natural resource management through participatory governance [ 7 ].”

Globalization trends and emerging new technologies are increasingly influencing urban and regional environments. ICTs are also heavily involved in the management and governance of cities. Authorities and planners use these innovations as tools and services to promote the quality of life, promote a sustainable development, and create a more dynamic and innovative urban landscape [ 7 ]. Over time, scholars, institutions, and large corporations provide expressions such as digital, smart, ubiquitous, wired, hybrid, information, creative, learning, humane, knowledge, and smart cities. The significant purpose is to describe the renewed configurations adopted within the local context [ 8 ].

Smart city definitions

There are different views regarding the origin of the concept of “smart city” in the literature. According to Garby (2014), the roots of the concept date back to the 1960s, and in urban development plans, it figures in proposals for networked cities since the 1980s. Also, Dameri and Cocchia (2013) claimed that specialists introduced this concept in 1994 [ 9 ]. The roots of this term, according to Neirotti et al. (2014), can be traced back to the late 1990s smart growth trend [ 10 ]. That said, it involves growing urban efficiency-related to energy, transport, land use, communication, economic development, service delivery, and so forth. A smart city is an effective strategy focusing on the ICT-based leadership of metropolitan areas [ 11 ]. The technological dimension is currently significant in the smart city definition: innovative approaches focused on the Internet network are the basis for a smart city. Besides, the development of a high-quality infrastructure for urban ICT is an integral part of a smart city. Coherent research produced by technology suppliers highlights the importance of this component. Furthermore, it claims that private companies engaged in telecommunications, transport, software, informatics, and electricity are pushing forward the smart city concept [ 12 ].

Two of the most relevant concepts will sum up the various variables that define the conceptualization of smart cities:

We believe that a city is smart when investments in human and social capital and conventional (transport) and modern (ICT) connectivity networks boost sustainable economic growth and high quality of life through participatory governance, wise management of natural resources.

The more recent interest in smart cities can be due to concern for sustainability and the emergence of new Web technologies, such as mobile devices, the semantic internet, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT), which facilitate the real-world user interfaces [ 13 ].

The central point posed by numerous scientists in the smart city concept is the role of ICT in today’s cities and the need to enhance emerging technologies. They claim that improving the quality of life of citizens is inevitable without access to these technologies.

Smart city features

The concept “smart city” is a bit fuzzy since it encompasses a wide range of dimensions and characteristics. According to Nam and Pardo, there are many definitions and considerations relevant to smart cities that contribute to technological, human, and institutional aspects (2011) [ 14 ].

Smart cities include the human capital variable as the main element of increasing interest in knowledge-based financial growth and innovation. In addition to being a “new engine” for sustainable development, the involvement of a trained and professional population and workforce is an essential component of this concept. The smart city’s employees should be well-trained and creative, with access to other knowledge-sharing opportunities [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. The combination of technical and human dimensions allows for the development of a technologically advanced and imaginative network. It is a common strategy to achieve urban development and de-industrialized finance. The utilization of development and social capital through “smart urban communities,” composed of firms, education, government, and individuals, depicts the smart city’s organization. These communities benefited from ICT and human capital to engage all participants to innovate and beneficially alter the urban environment [ 14 , 18 , 19 ].

Smart city characteristics

According to studies, a smart city would have five key components: contemporary technologies, buildings, utilities, transportation, and road infrastructure. In terms of technology, a smart city is a long-term collaboration between government, government institutes, and private companies to develop and implement computerized platforms. This cooperation is concerning with strengthening contemporary technologies, including mobile cloud computing, digital documents, networks, and emerging decision-making methods [ 20 , 21 ].

Smart city notions are as broad as the number of smart cities. Besides the three dimensions explained in Table 1 , the following six characteristics should include “smart economy,” “smart people,” “smart governance,” “smart mobility,” “smart environment,” and “smart living” Those three dimensions influence the outcomes of the six characteristics. Table 2 shows the theories and the characteristics of each of these six characteristics [ 14 ]:

Smart living is one of the characteristics of the smart city, according to the table, and the crucial purpose of this component is to boost citizens’ quality of life. There are also other aspects of smart living, such as education, safety, and social cohesion.

As stated, the primary goal of smart cities—especially smart living component—is to improve the quality of life of citizens. In this regard, one of the practical recommendations for achieving smart living is the idea of smart homes. One of the realistic alternatives to implementing smart living is the “smart home” idea. Its principal goal is to combine system, service, and management to provide people with an efficient, comfortable, safe, accessible, and environmentally friendly living environment.

Smart home definitions

Scientists used multiple notions to describe and conceptualize smart homes (Table 3 ). Among various approaches, the definition by Aldrich (2003) and Lutolf (1992) dealt inclusively with the nature of smart homes. A smart home, according to Aldrich (2003), is “a house designed with computer and information technologies that anticipates and responds to the needs of the inhabitants, functioning to facilitate their comfort, ease, security, and entertainment through the management of home technologies and connecting to the world beyond.” This definition encompasses the phenomenon’s technical component, as well as the services and functionality it provides. It is worth noting that smart homes would respond to a wide range of attitudes [ 23 ]. Besides, Lutolf (1992) described a smart home as “integrating various facilities through the use of a communication scheme in a home. It ensures an economical, safe, and comfortable home operation and involves a high level of smart functionality and flexibility.” [ 24 ] Although the two definitions share similar viewpoints, they differ in terms of the technology’s capabilities and the types of customers it seeks to serve. Many academics associate smart homes with technological features in general [ 25 ].

As mentioned above, there are differing views on the idea of the smart home. The author’s point of view in this article is closer to the theories of Aldrich and Lutolf. According to these two scientists, the smart home theory is based on the use of ICT and houses equipped with computer and information technologies. Also, the author considers two factors of functionality and flexibility in this article.

_ Smart home types of services:

Researchers used practical analyses to evaluate these home technologies, which would provide a variety of services to residents. The below are some of the smart home’s core features:

The smart home has the potential to improve the consumer and power grid relationship. It assists in data collection on power use, energy costs, and an energy use plan establishment. Smart homes also monitor the efficient use of resources and promote family awareness of energy conservation and environmental sustainability.

A smart home can enhance the lifestyle by promoting home security, safety, accessibility, and interactivity.

A smart home could support remote payment.

Smart homes can use a computer, a mobile phone, and a remote network to monitor and connect with the house.

Smart homes consider the real-time meter reading and security service of the water meter, electric energy meter, and gas meter to provide more efficient and high-quality services.

Supporting the “triple networks” industry and providing the ideal smart service [ 26 ].

In recent years, numerous scientists have conducted studies on smart home services, functions, and devices, as seen in Table 4 . The majority of the reviewed papers (41 articles) discussed ensuring a comfortable life. After that, most studies related to the monitoring service (31 references). In contrast, fewer articles focus on health therapy and the supportive functions of smart home technology. Only two papers discuss the consultancy service that smart sensors provide [ 22 ].

“Smart city” and “smart home” connection

The connection between smart cities and smart homes requires multiple applications across numerous fields. There is a term that defines this connection unequivocally, and that is “big data” ( https://www.smartcity.press/how-smart-homes-can-connect-smart-cities/ ). Data generates from multiple sources resulting in the formation of what is currently known as big data. Data sources are ubiquitous around us as smartphones, computers, environmental sensors, cameras, GPS (Geographical Positioning Systems), and even city dwellers. Multiple applications like social media, digital pictures and videos, commercial transactions, advertising applications, games, and many more exacerbated data generation in the past few years [ 27 , 28 ].

The significance of big data is undeniable. In other words, big data has a critical effect on several aspects of smart cities and, eventually, on citizens’ lives [ 29 ]. Smart city applications store information, and big data networks utilize this information. Also, big data systems gather information and process it to enhance the multiple services of smart cities. Big data will also help authorities to plan the development of smart city services. There are numerous instances of big data applications that serve the smart cities:

1 Smart education: Through education facilities, ICT offers solutions for improving the quality, efficiency, and profitability of educational systems. These facilities are adaptable in their use of information, better monitoring, and evaluation and expanded learning opportunities for citizens and stakeholders [ 30 ].

2 Smart traffic lights: one of the main features of smart cities is effective traffic flow control, which will improve transportation systems and improve the traffic patterns of citizens and the city as a whole [ 31 ].

3 Smart Grid: Smart grid is a vital component of smart cities. It is a reconstructed network that gathers and operates on existing data, such as information about suppliers and customers’ behaviors, utilizing information, and communication technology in an integrated manner to incorporate values [ 32 ].

Smart cities and big data are two modern approaches. Hence, numerous scientists have begun integrating them to develop smart city technologies that will enhance sustainability, improved resilience, efficient government, quality of life, and resource management. Big data applications have the potential to serve many sectors in a smart city. It provides clients improved experiences and lets businesses improve their performance (e.g., higher profits or market share). Also, improve healthcare by improving preventive care services, diagnosis and treatment tools, healthcare records management, and patient care. Big data will significantly help transportation networks to optimize roads, accommodate varying demands, and be more environmentally friendly. Deploying big data applications requires the support of adequate infrastructure for information and communication technology (ICT). Smart cities benefit from ICT since it provides appropriate solutions that would not be available without it [ 33 ].

On the other hand, some of the issues that smart cities face while using big data include:

Data sources and characteristics

Data and information sharing

Data quality

Security and privacy

Smart city population [ 34 ]

Some features of the smart city concept related to big data are mention in this section. Consequently, big data is an essential subject in smart cities to support the residents’ security, safety, education, and application. These features are part of the smart living sub-components. One of the six characteristics of the smart city concept—which includes many features including safety, housing, and education—is smart living. The findings of the study revealed that big data and smart living are inextricably connected.

This research aims to assess the social barriers in smart homes, one of the sub-components of smart living. As reviewed, big data interwove to smart homes and smart cities. Consequently, we can achieve the smart city’s established objective by developing big data services.

Pros and cons of smart homes

Smart homes are one of the EU’s ten main fields in the strategic energy technology plan: “Create technologies and services for smart homes that provide smart solutions to energy consumers.” The commission aims to promote creative ideas and manage consumers and authorities to optimize their energy consumption (and production). It also enables cities to manage energy usage, relying on smart grid services, through a more interactive/smart system [ 35 ].

Smart home technologies (SHTs) incorporate sensors, monitors, interfaces, appliances, and mobile devices to enable household environment automation and remote control. Sensors and monitoring systems control environmental variables like temperature, light, movement, and moisture. Computer applications (smartphones, tablets, laptops, PCs) or specialized hardware interfaces (e.g., wall-mounted controls) support the control systems. The main goals, vital advantages, and the most relevant problems of smart homes are listed in Table 5 [ 36 ]:

Smart homes’ social barriers

Despite the advantages and disadvantages of new technologies in current urban areas, the use of smart homes is inevitable. We concentrate on the most significant smart home issues in this article. Generally speaking, these problems can divide into two parts: (1) Technological and instrumental concerns and (2) obstacles raised by users of such tools. This paper aims to analyze the challenges of smart homes (especially societal barriers). Table 6 shows the research findings of several articles on this subject.

Multiple social barriers have been found in previous research, according to the table. In this research, a group of urban planners and social scientists looked at these obstacles and divided them into four categories. These components are as follows:

Privacy and security

Reliability

Satisfaction

Trust on device controlling.

Conceptual model

The previous reviews and the author’s findings support the conceptual model in this study. The following graph depicts the study’s conceptual model and, essentially, the researcher’s perspective. The “smart city” concept, according to scientists like Carlo Carpa, consists of six components, each of which is composed of several theories and features (Table 2 ). Smart living, among these different indicators, aims to improve the quality of life idea. And its features include education, culture and health, facilities, safety, housing, social cohesion, and tourist attractions. This research aims to analyze smart living and especially the social barriers of smart homes. In this regard, previous studies identified several factors as the most significant social issues of residents. These criteria include privacy, security, reliability, satisfaction, and device control. Finally, the author of this article selects these factors as criteria for assessing residents’ satisfaction with living in smart homes. Figure 1 describes the conceptual model in detail.

Conceptual model. Source “by the author”

This paper needs to examine its set indicators in a case study to achieve the research objectives. For this purpose, four European cities (Copenhagen, Berlin, Barcelona, and London) are selected as the case studies. It is worth noting that this paper aims to recognize the social barriers based on resident’s experience in smart homes. The author defines four criteria to measure the social issues, then conducts interviews with residents to assess the effect of these criteria. Finally, based on the residents’ comments, the significant social barriers of smart homes are identified.

In 2018, the Eden Strategy Institute ranked smart cities in the globe base on multiple criteria. This study rate 50 smart cities across the globe. The Berlin city is rated 29th in the report, Copenhagen 24th, Barcelona 9th, and London 1st. In this article, the researcher chose 4 European cities. Each of these countries made significant strides as a leader in the smart city concept. While residents are willing to embrace state-of-the-art technologies, several issues have created obstacles among these residents. The questionnaires will help evaluate the components after choosing the case studies to answers the research questions.

To accurately analyze these four components, a group of experts from various fields identified several sub-components. The group includes seven experts in the fields of urban planning, regional planning, urban design, and architecture. Also, these experts have extensive expertise in the area of urban planning and management. Table 7 is a list of the expert group criteria.

Table 8 presents the indicators and sub-indicators analyzed in this study. The author addresses these variables in the questionnaire questions.

The questions in the questionnaire comprise sub-components determined by the expert group. In this way, we will identify the social issues that trigger dissatisfaction among smart home residents. The questionnaire is composed of two parts. Part one contains socio-demographic questions (age of respondent, the gender of the respondent, profession, household income) and a specific question regarding smart homeowners’ academic studies. The screening question seeks to find the best people’s responses to the assessment. The screening query was “What are digital home technologies?” Options of response range from “no idea,” “primeval information,” and “good Information.” Respondents who replied “no idea” removed in this part. We will need residents who are knowledgeable regarding smart appliances to find the research goal. To this end, the research did not analyze the views of those who believed they lacked expertise in this field. The next section of the survey begins with an open-ended question asking respondents to give a few phrases about “What first comes to mind when you think of smart home technologies?” This question allows us to get a deeper understanding of how respondents think about smart home technology. Finally, the researcher assessed the interviewees’ opinions, and the responses were graded in the range 1 to 10 to evaluate each sub-indicator.

The research gathers primary data from 320 smart homeowners through random-cluster sampling via the adoption of a questionnaire study. So the researcher filled out 80 questionnaires at each sample city. The selection of interviewees is a crucial part of this research. Smart homeowners living in houses fitted with the latest technology are the interviewees in this study. Accordingly, the research group distributed the questionnaires to residents of the smart home in the four cities surveyed. Researchers select 80 residents of smart homes in each of those four cities. The investigator identified these families by associates in each of these cities. He contacted them and explained the goal of this study, and sent the questionnaire to them. To receive diverse viewpoints, the researcher chose interviewers with different characteristics. The characteristics of the people who filled out the questionnaires illustrate in Table 9 . It should mention that the author emailed the questionnaires to identified people due to the dispersion of the case studies. Then, the interviewees sent the completed questionnaires to the researcher.

The author picked the respondents from different age groups and genders as well as various social groups. The following tables provide some information about all 320 interviewees. Also, Fig. 2 presents the gender distribution:

The distribution of respondents by gender. Source “by the author”

Table 10 shows the number and percentage of respondents by age group.

The details of the interviewees’ academic rate are set out in Table 11

The author of this study explores four metrics as criteria for measuring social issues within smart home residents. The following graph depicts residents’ concerns regarding smart homes in four cities. The least concerning factor of these four indicators, according to the interviewees, was privacy and security. This measure has the highest percentage, meaning that residents are the most satisfied with it. In contrast, they state that their significant concern is trust in controlling devices (Fig. 3 ).

The contribution of each social barriers in smart home. Source “by the author”

The bar figure below illustrates each city’s score depending on the chosen measures. The city with the highest score is Copenhagen, while London has the lowest score. On the other hand, the two cities of Berlin and Barcelona also rank second and third respectively. It is worth noting that the lower a city’s ratings, the less effective it is in terms of social concerns, and residents face more social issues.

Copenhagen placed in the fifth position based on the world’s happiest cities in the World Happiness Report (WHR) 2020. The satisfaction of citizens living in this country is at a very high level. The survey included criteria such as life expectancy, security, and satisfaction with living in cities, which indicates a high level of quality of life in this city. On the other hand, in this research, the author aimed to make sure that the resident’s satisfaction in different cities does not affect how they react to the questionnaire. And only their concerns about the social factors mentioned in the questionnaire should analyze. Instead of dwelling on whether or not they are happy with living in their cities, the questionnaire focuses on the most significant social obstacles they face in their smart homes (Fig. 4 ).

The scores of each city based on the criteria. Source “by the author”

The bar figure below illustrates the scores for each indicator in 4 cities. Each indicator’s value was determined using a 1 to 10 ratio. It means that the higher a criterion’s indicator score is, the less worried residents are about it. Overall, Copenhagen outperformed the other three cities in each of these measures. Another point to remember is the low level of confidence in control devices. The privacy and security parameter, on the other hand, was the least troubling indicator. The following sections go into the details of each city’s situation:

Copenhagen: The “privacy and security” component in this city has the lowest level of concern among the smart home’s residents. Also, they state that “trust in controlling devices” is the significant troublesome among the indicators analyzed in this research. Also, the other two components are in a better position.

Berlin: “Privacy and security” in this city have a lower score than in Copenhagen. However, this component has more favorable conditions than the other two cities. In this city, “trust in controlling devices” has the lowest level of satisfaction among respondents.

Barcelona: The equality of the scores of the two components—“privacy and security” and “reliability”—is a significant point in this city. As a result, these two components have the highest level of satisfaction. While “trust in controlling devices” has the lowest level of residents’ satisfaction.

London: The point that clear in this city is that almost all the components scored fewer points than the other three cities. Also, the residents’ satisfaction trend in this research is similar to the other three examples. As a result, the highest level of satisfaction is associated with “privacy and security,” while the lowest level of satisfaction is related to “trust in controlling devices” (Fig. 5 ).

Criteria scores of social problems by city. Source “by the author”

The author appropriates several sub-components in this research for an accurate analysis of the components. These sub-components are the result of discussion and consultation obtained from the expert group. The conclusions derived from the sub-component analysis illustrates in the following diagram (Fig. 6 ).

Sub-criteria scores of social problems by city. Source “by the author”

Table 12 represents the scores of the sub-component by city. Furthermore, a separate column shows the average score of each component. Based on the average scores, the “privacy and security” component has the highest score (8.4), therefore has the highest level of satisfaction among smart home residents. In contrast, “trust in controlling devices” has the lowest score (6.4), reflecting resident frustration with smart homes. It is worth noting that among all the sub-components, “smart surveillance systems” with a score of 9.5 have the highest level of satisfaction in Copenhagen. In contrast, several sub-criteria in the two “satisfaction” and “trust on controlling devices” criteria scored the lowest.

According to interviews findings in Copenhagen, the reason for their high level of satisfaction is the government’s monitoring of smart surveillance systems. In other words, government agencies’ oversight of the non-governmental service providers has increased public satisfaction. On the other hand, some residents in the other three cities are dissatisfied with the smart services provided by private and public companies. They suppose that the operation of several smart devices at the same time will cause issues due to the lack of monitoring of these systems.

According to smart home definitions, scientists state that such houses seek to utilize up-to-date technologies such as the internet to create more beneficial homes. It is important to consider that smart homes aim to improve the inhabitants’ quality of life besides their satisfaction. The advantages of designing smart homes are increasing economic growth, security, time savings, and pollution mitigation. On the other hand, the utilization of such services raises multiple challenges and concerns. One of the obstacles is the residents’ satisfaction with the use of these services. For instance, dependency on the Internet, interference in people’s privacy, and high expense of accessing such services. The most significant purpose of this article is to analyze the social issues of smart home residents. The primary goal is to identify such barriers. Also, what is the most significant social obstacles for residents? The most concerning social barriers describe below according to the case studies findings.

Trust on controlling devices.

Service satisfaction.

The reliability of the services.

Privacy and security.

According to interviews, the most significant issue is related to devise management. Respondents are concerned about how several devices operate simultaneously. To prevent such disorders, control officials must supervise the accurate performance of each of these smart devices. Also, experts should perform experiments to examine how multiple devices interact at the same time to identify potential troubles. This surveillance would improve consumer’s trust and lead to the increased utilization of these technologies in non-smart homes. Besides, companies should have periodic checkups to inspect the equipment to resolve any new issues. Eventually, through these approaches, citizens’ services improved to offer people satisfaction with smart home services. The last section provides the most significant recommendations to mitigate the challenges and facilitate the safe and effective use of smart home applications.

User recommendations

Home energy services are primarily responsible for appliance power consumption data, performing energy efficiency assessments of household appliances, and making recommendations about household power consumption. The technology-based systems present recommendations for users to reduce energy consumption. A device provides suggestions for mobile users when an intruder is detected. To decrease power consumption and the cost of household appliances efficiently, we recommend that users commit to the set runtime.

Health recommendations

Health institutions are primarily responsible for assisting and ensuring high-quality medical applications in smart homes and healthcare in general. Health institutions support the elderly (at home) by providing correct instructions, such as appropriate exercises through TV tutorials. Recommendations are given to patients in smart homes, including medical guidelines, patient diagnoses, and assistance for the elderly and people with disabilities. Such technologies can also determine and predict unexpected incidents such as fall injuries in smart homes.

Safety recommendations

Another advantage of using technology-based devices in smart homes is increased safety. People of all ages require specific healthcare, especially the elderly, and children often need guidance and help from those around them. Using a monitoring system provides appropriate supervision for homeowners if they are not at home. Also, ensuring that strangers do not enter smart homes are other benefits of using these homes. As a result, homes equipped with these applications will bring higher satisfaction to homeowners. Furthermore, smart devices provide instructions on how fire systems and electrical appliances are utilized and managed. A recommendation system to manage IoT–network relationships between IoT devices, networks, and operation techniques helps implement appropriate schemes, diagnose errors in smart homes.

Limitations

The most crucial section in this research was designing the questionnaire and assessing questionnaire data. Several experts evaluated the questionnaire indicators, then sub-criteria were identified for a more detailed study. It should note that this process was very time-consuming. Another obstacle in this research was finding informed people about smart homes to fill out the questionnaire. To sum up, smart home technologies face serious challenges. Further study and practical solutions to address the problems that lay ahead would pave the way for such technologies extension.

Availability of data and materials

All sources of data and materials analyzed in the course of this paper a listed in the reference section.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my very great appreciation to my professor for his valuable and constructive suggestions during the planning and development of this research work. His willingness to give his time so generously has been very much appreciated.

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Pira, S. The social issues of smart home: a review of four European cities’ experiences. Eur J Futures Res 9 , 3 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40309-021-00173-4

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People taking care of the elderly or sick at home may get help from the house itself.

Big changes

The beginning of the 21st century saw a revolution in home-living with new technology changing the places where we live, from the wireless internet to TV screens that hang on walls, and it seems technology could be changing our homes again. A project conducted by Johann Siau, Senior Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire’s School of Engineering and Technology, builds on the University’s InterHome project  –  aiming to create a home that monitors people living at home who are frail or elderly.

The InterHome

‘We’ve developed a wrist-band type device,’ says Johann Siau, ‘which allows us to monitor the condition of an elderly person, or whoever is wearing the device. It allows us to collect data of a person, to detect if the person has fallen or is away from where they are supposed to be. It connects an elderly person with an assisted-living type device with the InterHome.’ The assisted-living project is part of the University’s wider InterHome project, which is the development of a smart house. The house stores the usage patterns of the person living there and can adapt to make it as energy efficient as possible. ‘Linking the two together, and building the service element, allows us to introduce the assisted-living idea to care for the elderly. It’s very important that these technologies are there to help and support rather than to replace any of the existing services.’

Built from zero

The InterHome is not just a prototype (a doll’s house at the moment) or a vehicle for research, it’s a study tool where students from a range of scientific disciplines get to learn and develop technology. The InterHome incorporates the latest broadband technology, mobile data and communication. Researchers and students make sure all the technology works together. ‘We’ve used this to teach our undergraduate students, as well as our postgraduate students, and gives us the flexibility to be able to design our systems because the hardware and software is developed in-house.’ It requires a variety of skills from students – electronic engineers, embedded-system engineers, computer students, design students. ‘The current plan we are working on is a smart home project in Watford with some commercial companies,’ says Johann Siau. ‘We are looking at how a smarter home can provide extra value services.’

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Smart Homes: Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Connected Home

Apr 1, 2021

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AI encompasses the ability to connect multiple IoT devices, coupled with superior processing and learning abilities, and use them to pre-empt human behavior. AI-powered smart home devices can interact with each other and acquire new data that assists in learning human habits. Data collected is used to predict the behavior of users and develop situational awareness, i.e., understand user preferences and change parameters accordingly.

The Rise of Digital Assistants: Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, and Bixby

Apart from its application in home security systems, artificial intelligence is utilized to control smart devices with the voice control feature of AI-enabled units, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Advanced home security systems can also be controlled through voice commands. Researchers are focused on bringing in innovation in the field of voice recognition technology that will further add value to voice control devices. Latest advancements in home automation systems can enable owners to gain access to hands-free channel surfing and control Bluetooth speakers. The emergence of the voice assistant feature also raises security concerns, as some researchers have managed to hack smart devices through inaudible.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Proactively Analyze Potential Home Security Issues

The increasing need to improve home security has propelled the implementation of AI-powered devices. These devices encompass a variety of features, including threat analysis, facial recognition, and smart home integration, which, in turn, safeguards homeowners from security threats.

AI-powered machines can easily recognize objects or faces owing to the pattern/face recognition feature. Face recognition can easily check facial landmarks, such as cheekbones, eyes, chin, etc., and compare them with the existing data. Furthermore, these machines can send notifications to the home owner’s smartphone regarding visitors at the front door. Most advanced home security cameras can identify the faces of family members, friends, and pets.

Artificial intelligence can also help next-generation home security systems to actively monitor and analyze for potential security threats. These systems are configured with artificial intelligence logic, which, in turn, has facilitated the development of a tailored suite of countermeasures to protect the house. It is expected that AI-powered smart cameras will play a vital role in home security. These cameras can record HD videos and automatically store them in the cloud for future reference. With the help of smart connected apps, an individual can have a clear view of his/her house to safeguard from security threats.

AI is also used in smart locks, which can be controlled through smartphones. AI-enabled smart locks offer numerous security benefits, such as limited reliance on physical keys for access, temporary access to guests, and regular video streams of individuals ringing the doorbell. Biometric door locks such as Kwikset, August, and Samsung can be integrated into Google, Samsung, and Amazon’s smart home ecosystem.

Smoke Alarms to Think, Speak, and Alert the User with the Help of Artificial Intelligence

Sophisticated smoke alarms that can think and alert the user with the help of artificial intelligence are currently available in the market. Some of the smart features of smoke alarms include providing notification on phones regarding low battery and issuing alerts in case of smoke or carbon monoxide leaks, and pinpointing the location where there has been a fire or smoke outbreak. These alarms can also be put on silent mode. Smoke detectors use the voice alert feature to notify the first sign of smoke, which facilitates improved response during emergencies.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology to Assist in Daily Household Activities

Artificial intelligence is powerful. It mimics the knowledge and learning abilities of humans, all on a technological basis. Recent developments in smart home automation systems have led to improvements in artificial intelligence in terms of communicating with the cloud, learning human behavioral patterns, and automating smart home devices according to user preferences.

LG developed DeepThinQ 1.0 technology that supports voice and video recognition and transmits information to cloud servers. It can automate various activities, such as turning off lights when the door is locked from the outside, running the robotic vacuum in the owner’s absence, and turning on the air purifier before the owner reaches home. The LG washer studies human habits and automatically learns as well as applies those settings. The washer can further guide how to dry various types of load. The washer and the dryer can communicate with the cloud and can adjust operations based on climate and air quality. The LG air conditioner can detect the number of people inside the room and their identity and can keep the temperature according to their preferences. ThinQ can also play music and adjust car temperatures.

Samsung integrated its SmartThings smart home family of products with Bixby voice control. These products can recognize individuals in the house and adjust all settings according to a person’s preference. The owner can control any smart device through its voice with the help of a Samsung TV or family hub refrigerator. The SmartThings app can also help the owner download streaming apps and sign-in automatically. The Samsung cloud stores all login details of users and offers a simple and convenient solution to keep a backup of data. The Samsung TV can display the person at the front door and act as a hub for other smart devices.

Viaroom Home offers a self-learning home controller that studies the habits of an individual within 48 hours. It creates a map of each room and controls both lighting and heating appliances. The controller has a specially designed firewall to protect smart homes from hackers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Distributed Energy Generation and EV Charging

Artificial intelligence also finds application in distributed energy generation, as it integrates automatic energy storage systems with distributed energy sources to store and utilize electricity. Devices such as Tesla Powerwall can store electricity in energy storage systems so that it can be utilized at night or during a power outage. This further encourages smart homes to reduce their dependency on the electricity grid.

Artificial intelligence can be used to minimize the electricity bill consumed for EV charging by analyzing the entire load demand with the variable tariff structure of the utility. Hence, it can advise EV owners regarding the timeline during which EVs can be charged with less tariff power. It also helps utility companies conduct demand-side management and maintain grid frequency. In the future when the commercialized vehicle to grid technologies are in place, the role of these technologies will be further intensified.

Artificial intelligence will play a pivotal role by using data—including grid data, smart meter data, weather data, and energy use information—to study and improve building performance, optimize resource consumption, and increase comfort and cost-efficiency for residents.

What is the future for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Smart Homes?

There’s an increasing trend with residential households being “smart” — which experts predict will surpass 300 million homes in 2023. With the growth of the smart homes market, new security threats are expected to rise. Wirelessly connected devices are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Hence, safeguarding connected devices from security threats and vulnerabilities is essential to gain the trust of homeowners and increase the sale of smart home devices. For example, in 2016, Mirai IoT botnet took control of several smart home devices, such as security cameras, routers, and air quality monitors; this affected close to 600,000 devices worldwide, resulting in redirecting massive amount of web traffic and suspending services for websites, such as Twitter and Netflix.

On the other hand, companies are trying to integrate artificial intelligence with emotions. LG has provided a cheerful personality to its Clio robot, whereas Sony is adding a unique personality and emotion to its next-generation Aibo Robotic dogs. With the help of EmoShape’s Emotion Processing, personal assistants and avatars can have 12 emotions, which include pleasure, frustration, pain, and satisfaction, among others. The Emotion Processing unit can control the facial expression and body language of a robot or an avatar on a desktop screen.

Google added multilingual support so that the Google Assistant can understand and speak more than one language at a time. This helped the Assistant understand the language of family members in bilingual homes. With advancements in speech recognition, one can speak two languages interchangeably with the Assistant.

There have been cases wherein devices were enabled when not necessary and humans were required to intervene and make decisions or fix any mistakes. For artificial intelligence to be ubiquitous, current-generation systems need to function without human intervention.

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How Smart Homes Make Life Better

Life is complicated. there are times when all we want is a little more ease and tranquility. living in a smart home can simplify our lives and improve our quality of life..

With the onset of COVID, everyone is rethinking their home’s role in helping them live better lives.

Nowadays, we're spending more time at home. The blurring line between work and family is causing us to realize just how important it is to be in surroundings that promote comfort, wellness, and productivity. As a result, interest in having a smart home is ramping up.

The right smart home features can make our lives more comfortable and convenient, create safety and peace of mind, and increase our overall feelings of well-being.

For these reasons, it’s no surprise most people believe moving into a smart home - or making their existing home "smarter" - will lead to that better life.

People Between the Ages of 25-44 Believe a Smart Home is Key to a Better Life

People in this group may have different motivations for adopting smart home technology , but they share a common goal. They see it as a way to make their lives simpler and better.

They are the most interested in how smart homes can better their lives. And, we can learn a lot from this group about how and why smart homes are becoming standard across the world:

Households with an income of $100,000 or more are 2.5 times more likely to have smart home systems and three times more likely to own multiple devices.

This group is most likely to be buying or upgrading their home.

They care more about how they are perceived than other age groups and want to be seen as eco-conscious.

They are willing to pay more for “green” products that help them walk the walk and not just talk the talk.

People 25-44 living in urban areas and families living in suburban areas are most focused on security.

Features like connected thermostats, connected smoke detectors, smart lights, and connected locks are at the top of their wishlist.

This age group, in general, is also more budget-conscious, wanting high value for the money they are investing.

Smart Home Features and an Improved Quality of Life

Quality of life means different things to different people. Each of us values unique aspects of our lives above others, but we share several things in common as humans.

We all want peace of mind and safety. We wish our lives to be as convenient and stress-free as possible. We seek wellness and calm, no matter how hectic daily life gets.

And it’s been undoubtedly hectic this last year with COVID affecting all of us. As a result, we are increasingly more likely and willing to spend on smart home features, especially since social interactions and everyday life away from home have been paused.

Three Unique Factors to Consider

There are three unique factors to consider when understanding why people see smart home technology and its integration improving daily life:

Integrated smart homes make life more convenient

Smart home features that deliver safety, wellness, and comfort

How smart home integration helps with energy efficiency

Let's unpack each of these.

Integrated Smart Homes Make Life More Convenient

As a starting point, smart home technologies streamline how we control our homes, allowing us to change our environment to meet our needs with the tap of a button.

Some smart home systems even take convenience one step further by integrating multiple smart home products into a unified experience or learning from our patterns and automatically adjusting to us as we live our lives.

When Price Waterhouse Coopers conducted a smart home technology study , they asked several groups what matters most. Across the board, they found that people want convenience. Participants compared having smart home technology to having a “personal assistant that can do the things they forgot to do.”

Notably, convenience was critical to women. Women noted that

Smart home technology “represents another pair of hands and one less thing to remember on a long list of family responsibilities."

With the increased convenience of our homes virtually running on auto-pilot, we free up more time to do what we love - whether that’s a focus on work, family, or something in between.

Smart Home Features That Deliver Peace of Mind, Wellness & Comfort

Peace of mind.

As Smart Home goes mainstream, users of smart home technology mention peace of mind and comfort as their primary motivators.

Peace of mind comes from feeling like they are in control and protected while they’re at home, and when they’re away.

At work (maybe post-COVID, that is), on an extended vacation, or even on the couch, the ability to control your home from a phone or tablet, to lock doors, monitor security cameras, control lighting, and be notified in case of smoke or fire are all critical to feeling safe.

According to McKinsey , people with a safety focus are most interested in remote video feeds, connected locks, and connected smoke detectors throughout their homes and solutions that help tie them all together into a single system or app.

Interestingly, 56% of the people surveyed didn't focus on the brand of the products they purchased. They aren't as brand-focused as we might expect; they're benefit-focused.

Total wellness - including consistent, quality sleep - is vital in modern society. We all need restful nights to be productive during the day, and Human-Centric Lighting (HCL) helps us reach that goal.

HCL affects us while we sleep and while we go about our daily lives in our homes. Each of us experience a natural, biological rhythm to our daily lives that ties into how we sleep. This rhythm responds directly to the light levels we experience throughout the day , and too much bright light or too much darkness can have adverse effects.

Auto-dimming lights and motorized shading both help maintain balanced lighting.

Smart home technology and HCL help provide a consistent balance for a homeowner that changes with them as the day unfolds.

Most companies providing human-centric lighting integrations - at this point - are focused on trying to mimic natural light as much as possible to help people feel better, sleep better, and enjoy their homes more than they would without this balance.

Beyond HCL, smart home technologies also support total wellness in other ways. In recent years, several exciting developments actively elevate our health and how we behave each day to keep us healthy.

Here are a few interesting examples:

Ultraviolet disinfection lighting can sanitize surfaces in seconds to keep these surfaces as germ-free as possible.

Bedroom mirrors can measure your blood flow and respiration to see if something is wrong.

Wearables allow you to detect patterns in your behavior and program your other smart devices by these patterns.

As the focus on total wellness rises - with smart home technology playing a more central role in that experience - more of these innovations are sure to surface.

Comfort and “Touchless” Features

As we’ve fought through COVID, people are starting to think about a future where we can interact with our devices without having to touch them. The same is proving true for our homes.

At the 2021 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), touchless devices were everywhere. Companies are thinking about how faucets, toilets, doorbells, refrigerators, and more can operate in our homes without touch.

Touchless technologies can reduce germ transfer and help occupients stay healthy throughout the year.

In addition to the health considerations, the benefits of touchless technology also extend to comfort and utility. For example, the touchless tech can make it much easier for senior homeowners to do basic things like turning on the lights, which can require reaching up, walking extra distances, or a tough balancing act to get done.

How Smart Home Integration Helps With Energy Efficiency

Modern consumers increasingly exhibit a "green" mindset. This mindset influences the products they buy and how they expect energy options to integrate into their homes to help them conserve energy.

The McKinsey study highlights three common energy behaviors that homeowners are worried about:

• 51% admitted to leaving lights on in rooms they aren't in
• 41% have left appliances or the TV on even when not in use, and
• 35% left the air conditioner running even when it's comfortable in the home

As we scramble from one thing to the next, maybe a little distracted, some typical behaviors lead to excess energy usage.

With helpful smart home technologies integrated into their homes, people don't waste energy as often.

This change leads to better energy efficiency, lower costs for the homeowner, and reduced stress spent managing their homes.

People can turn lights off when they’re not home and when they aren’t using different rooms. Appliances and TVs can automatically turn off when not in use. And programmable thermostats can be set to keep things comfortable and cut off when it's overkill to be running.

With the increased energy efficiency delivered by smart home systems, homeowners feel more responsible and keep extra money in their pockets.

In Conclusion

We're all searching for a better life.

The definition of that better life is different for everyone.

But if you asked ten people, most of those people would mention their homes and comfort level in those homes. Smart home technology is helping homeowners become more comfortable than ever before. Customizing their lives in a way that would have seemed impossible even 30 years ago.

Smart homes can indeed make life better.

Not only for homeowners but for builders and integrators that offer the technologies people want to customize the home of their dreams.

When you offer smart home technology as a builder, you’re giving people what they want. This helps you to stand apart from your competition. Especially if you’re the only builder in the area offering these features. Or, when your customer is considering you and a direct competitor who doesn’t offer smart home features.

When this happens often enough, the effect to your bottom line and the satisfaction of your customers is noticeable.

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Moscow Launches New Smart City District as a Living Lab

• Written by Eric Baldwin
• Published on December 13, 2018

The government of Moscow has begun developing an existing district in the city to test nearly 30 new ‘smart’ technologies for urban development. Home to over 8,000 people, the district is testing ideas on smart lighting, smart waste management, and smart heating. The city intends to evaluate what impact technologies bring to residents and adjust its urban renewal plan once the pilot is complete.

When creating a smart district, cities tend to choose new, empty or even abandoned areas to build a district from a scratch, which is faster, easier and more cost-efficient. However, Moscow authorities made the decision to create one in an already existing neighborhood to bring top tech solutions. In April 2018, authorities began implementing technologies in selected buildings situated in Maryino district on the southeast of Moscow . The district includes seven apartment buildings with different years of construction from 1996 to 1998. Each residential building has a different construction type that gives an advantage to pilot the technologies under various conditions.

Andrey Belozerov, Strategy and Innovations Adviser to CIO of Moscow explained: “We didn’t want to build a district from a scratch as a test bed far from real-world settings. Our aim was to test technologies in inhabited neighborhood so it allows us to see whether citizens get advantage of new technologies in their everyday tasks. When the pilot is completed we aim to adjust the city urban renewal plan, so Muscovites enjoy living in similar technology-savvy buildings around the city in the future”.

The smart district residents can access smart systems responsible for heating, lighting, and waste collection. In total selected residential buildings are equipped with twenty nine different smart technologies. As part of the project the first charging station for electric vehicles situated in residential district has been installed in Moscow – it has already become the most popular charging station for electric vehicles in the city. In addition, free Wi-Fi network is available on site. Each resident can install free mobile application to answer the house intercom when no one is around or open the door without a key. The project aims to improve quality of life and provide comfort and safety for residents.

• Sustainability

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莫斯科启动“智能小区”计划，将为8000人口提供智能家居生活

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Discover the innovative features and cutting-edge technologies that make Moscow a Smart City leader. From efficient transportation systems to advanced energy management, Smart City Moscow is transforming urban living for its citizens. Explore the benefits and possibilities of a smarter city with Moscow smart city strategy.

Smart City Moscow, Russia

2.127 smart points.

Environment

Connectivity, life quality.

Moscow, on the Moskva River in western Russia, is the nation’s cosmopolitan capital. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that’s home to the president and tsarist treasures in the Armoury. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia’s symbolic center. It’s home to Lenin’s Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum’s comprehensive collection, and St. Basil’s Cathedral, known for its colorful, onion-shaped domes.

Once Moscow started to revive its legend and cultural gem, the number of visitors to VDNKh has been rapidly increasing to reach around 25 million people annually. In 2018, it saw the record-breaking 30 million guests! During its 80-year history, the exhibition was called in different ways: VSKhV, VDNKh, and VVTs. Its original purpose was to demonstrate the achievements of the national economy to Muscovites and numerous Moscow guests. However, today it has become a Grand Centre of leisure, education, and culture.

Examples of Smart City Development in Moscow:

• Implementation of a unified Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that integrates various modes of transportation, including public transport, private vehicles, and bicycles, to provide a seamless and efficient travel experience for citizens.
• Deployment of a network of smart sensors and devices that collect and analyze data on traffic flow, air quality, noise pollution, and other environmental factors to help city officials make informed decisions and improve the quality of life for residents.
• Creation of digital platforms and services, such as e-government portals, online payment systems, and mobile apps, that enable citizens to access information and services quickly and easily, anytime and anywhere.

Companies and their Results Moscow smart city strategy:

• Yandex, the leading Russian search engine and technology company, has developed a number of smart transportation solutions in Moscow, including a ride-sharing service called Yandex.Taxi, a car-sharing service called Yandex.Drive, and a public transport planning tool called Yandex.Transport.
• Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, has partnered with Moscow authorities to deploy 5G networks and other advanced technologies to support the city’s smart city initiatives. The company has also established a research and development center in Moscow to focus on AI and other emerging technologies.

Statistics in Numbers:

• According to the Moscow Department of Information Technology, the city has installed more than 200,000 smart devices and sensors to monitor traffic, air quality, and other environmental factors.
• The Moscow Metro, which carries more than 7 million passengers per day, has implemented a smart ticketing system that allows commuters to pay for rides with their smartphones.
• Moscow’s e-government portal, which provides access to more than 500 online services, has registered more than 18 million users since its launch in 2011.

Interesting Facts:

• Moscow was ranked as the 9th smartest city in the world in 2020, according to the IESE Cities in Motion Index.
• The city has launched a number of smart city pilot projects, including a program to use blockchain technology to store and share data on real estate transactions and a project to deploy autonomous vehicles in certain parts of the city.
• Moscow authorities have set a goal of reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 30% by 2030 through a range of initiatives, including the promotion of electric vehicles and the implementation of energy-efficient buildings and infrastructure.

Plans for Moscow smart city 2030 strategy roadmap:

• The Moscow smart city strategy Roadmap, which was adopted in 2016, outlines a number of key priorities and initiatives for the city’s smart city development through 2030. These include:
• Expanding the use of digital technologies and services to improve the quality of life for residents, such as smart healthcare and education.
• Enhancing the city’s transportation infrastructure and mobility services to reduce congestion and improve accessibility.
• Promoting sustainable development and energy efficiency through the use of renewable energy sources and green building practices.
• Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship through the development of a strong ecosystem of startups, research institutions, and venture capital firms.

The Moscow Smart City strategy represents a comprehensive and ambitious plan to transform the city into a more livable, sustainable, and innovative urban environment. Through the use of advanced technologies and data-driven solutions, the strategy seeks to improve the quality of life for citizens and create a more prosperous and resilient city for future generations.

Moscow smart city strategy Technograd

Technograd is the chief front office of Moscow’s professional training system. The complex was opened in the Knowledge Park at VDNKh on 3 September 2018, with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin invited.

Training program

Technograd offers the world’s and the country’s best training programs in more than 40 most in-demand professions and professions of the future. The programs have been based on actual employers’ requirements. The complex gives an opportunity to train, retrain, and upgrade skills in any of the chosen careers. Its platforms provide excellent conditions for training specialists for small and medium-sized businesses. The training programs have been developed taking into account the specifics of each line of business and include case studies of leading entrepreneurs and experts.

Assembly point of the future

In the country’s sole supermarket of professions, everyone of any age can acquire an in-demand profession or choose his or her future job, taking training based on cutting-edge teaching methods. The innovative education complex of a new type is VDNKh’s attraction point.

Muscovites use the advantages of a smart city every day: they connect to the internet on a train or in the streets, arrange doctor’s visits via the Unified Medical Information Analysis System (UMIAS), pay utility bills online, and attend an online school. Mos.ru presents this article on how Moscow has managed to become one of the world’s smartest cities.

A Smart City is a system of city service resources that are used as efficiently as possible to provide maximum convenience for its residents. It requires a close connection between smart city projects (street CCTV cameras, public services, smart transport systems, and others) in a megalopolis.

City Wi-Fi and mobile internet

There are many points with free Wi-Fi access in Moscow streets, parks, and pedestrian areas, including over 2,000 located inside the Garden Ring and in Moscow parks.

The Internet can also be accessed from public transport. The network covers the metro, the MCC, the Aeroexpress trains to the airports as well as buses, trams, and trolleys. This means there is no need to authorize again after changing from one form of transport to another.

Mobile internet still costs Muscovites eight times less than in New York. Moscow is second in fixed telephone accessibility.

Smart transport

Moscow’s intelligent traffic control system is an important element in a Smart City. In Moscow, this system includes more than 2,000 traffic lights, 3,500 traffic detectors, and 2,000 CCTV cameras. Data from these devices are transferred to the Traffic Management Center’s situation room, where they are analyzed online, which helps control traffic. In the future, this information will make it possible for the Traffic Management Center to forecast traffic patterns due to street closures, the introduction of one-way traffic, or a newly designated bus lane.

Moscow was the first Russian region to launch a website where the public can pay various fees, and attain city services, and that moved permits and documents to the cloud allowing users to receive several services in one package.

Muscovites can check on and pay traffic tickets and utility bills, arrange a doctor’s visit, top-up a Troika card, sign up children for a club or do many other things in only minutes. There are 222 services in total on mos.ru now.

Visit a doctor online

The Unified Medical Information Analysis System (UMIAS) was launched in Moscow in 2011. It can be used to find the closest medical center, arrange a doctor’s visit, or get sick leave papers. UMIAS has reduced lines in clinics 2.5 times since it was launched.

UMIAS works at 678 medical centers, unites 21,500 doctors, and 9.5 million patients as well as 359 million arrangements, and provides for over 500,000 transactions every day. About 700,000 people use UMIAS to arrange to see a doctor every week.

City and Active Citizen

Muscovites can directly interact with the Moscow government and influence the city’s life. Our City is a feedback channel where residents can comment on officials and utility services issues.

Muscovites can report on the lack of a rubbish basket in a park, a broken staircase or pavement tile as well as rubbish on the street, poor landscaping care, or a pothole. Over a million users are registered on the website. Almost 1.8 million problems have been resolved with this website so far.

The Active Citizen online referendum system allows citizens to give an opinion on various issues, starting from additional bus routes and lawn mowing to the name of the new metro ring. “Active Citizens” save up bonus points to get brand souvenirs or tickets to theatres or museums. Today over 1.9 million participants are registered in the system, with 2,600 voting sessions held and over 81 million opinions taken into account.

Electronic school

The Moscow Electronic School project started in September 2016. The main elements include digital school records and online registering as well as an electronic library with textbooks and lesson scenarios. The scenarios have replaced lesson plans and look more like a presentation with materials and tasks. Teachers all around the city can find the necessary scenario at the library, add something new to the existing one, or create a new one and share it with others.

This system allows teachers to exchange opinions and creates healthy competition between teachers because scenarios can be rated and the number of downloads is recorded. As of today, teachers have created almost 50,000 lesson electronic scenarios. Interactive blackboards – 84-inch touch screens – can be used to make lessons more interesting. School students can draw on it, move elements from one place to another, paint various areas, and so on with a stylus or their fingers. Today’s children are used to electronic devices, so they like working that way. For example, in history lessons, students use the blackboard to enjoy drawing trade routes or circle areas where certain tribes lived. Some subjects, such as geometry, actually look better with 3D images. Thanks to internet access, teachers can quickly pull up information such as laws, articles, videos, and many other things on the interactive blackboard.

Moscow schools also use online school performance and attendance records as well as the “Attendance and Food” system, in which parents can see children’s marks and their education in general: what topics were covered and what homework is due. The system allows parents to monitor their child’s arrival and departure from school and what they had for lunch.

Video analytics

Moscow is one of the world’s top ten cities in the number of CCTV cameras. There are over 146,000 cameras installed in entrance halls, courtyards, public places, and educational institutions. Recordings are used to solve 70 percent of violations and crimes. The cameras also help monitor utility services.

Recordings are kept at the united data storage and process center. In case of an emergency, it is possible to book the archived information from the necessary camera for 30 days by calling 8 (495) 587-0002. The application number received from the operator must be given to law enforcement or legal counsel. If not booked, the archived information is kept for five days.

World recognition

It is fair to call Moscow a smart city, and this title is recognized by the global community. Last July, PricewaterhouseCoopers included Moscow in the top five megalopolises that are ready for innovation. Last June, the Russian capital won the WeGO award. Moscow received special mention in the category of e-government services, and last February, Intelligent Community Forum ranked Moscow among the top seven finalists in the most intelligent city contest.

Industrial design

A special style has been developed for the design of structures used in the new signage system. Materials were selected to minimize vandalism and that do not require painting to maintain their appearance. The exterior design was inspired by Moscow architecture.

How was the Moscow smart city strategy development?

The development of a single transport navigation signage system began in 2013 and was ready within a year. The pilot project was launched in the metro: information signs with pedestrian maps and exit numbers appeared at five stations. At the same time, maps for system accessibility appeared at the bike-share stations.

The first bus stop with the new signage was completed in Moscow in 2015. Signage with city maps for pedestrians also began appearing at that time.

The new navigation system began to be used on a wide scale in 2016. Information for the passengers is placed in the metro and at the stops as well as on pedestrian streets.

Over the past 7 years, the number of tourists has increased by 65 percent, from 12.8 million to 21 million people. City revenues from tourism, festivals, and cultural events have soared by 70 percent. A new navigation system has been introduced for the convenience of city residents and tourists: signs and markers are currently available in eight administrative areas as well as at every bus stop

Social care and assistance

Social-sector funding has almost doubled in 2011. In 2018, 430 billion roubles were allocated for social care and assistance projects. Apart from cash payments, the city implements other projects that make life easier. For example, 85 percent of buses, trolleybuses, and trams are adapted for people with disabilities, and to add to this the Exciting Activities for Senior Citizens project has been launched.

Since 2013, the city has planted over 90,000 trees and 1.9 million shrubs under the One Million Trees project. The air is becoming cleaner: Nitrogen oxide and carbon oxide emissions are down 20 and 30 percent, respectively, and those of tiny particles have decreased by an average of ten percent. And tap water no longer reeks of chlorine.

Parks and green zones

550 parks, since 2011, the city has improved 550 parks and green territories, including the creation of 259 new parks. In 2017, 113 green zones were improved. There are plans to still improve 84 parks before the year is out. Trees and shrubs cover 49 percent of the city’s area.

Construction

The city no longer implements high-density (infill) construction projects, and the construction of properties with an area of 21.2 million square meters has been canceled. New hospitals, schools and kindergartens, transport interchanges, and metro stations appear each year.

Science and innovations. Moscow smart city strategy

The city has established 33 technology parks accommodating thousands of small and medium-sized innovative companies. 39 industrial complexes prioritizing innovation development have been registered. 12 technology parks for children are being developed at local universities, offering classes for school children.

The number of weekend markets has increased ten-fold. Since early 2018, there are 102 marketplaces. Over 4,000 illegal trading facilities have been dismantled during the past five years, a standard system for siting kiosks has been drafted, and a 96.6-percent outlet-accessibility coefficient is now posted.

Since 2011, the city has improved 550 parks and green territories, including the creation of 259 new parks. In 2017, 113 green zones were improved. There are plans to still improve 84 parks before the year is out. Trees and shrubs cover 49 percent of the city’s area.

Since 2011, the city has opened over 90 new sports facilities, and the number of city residents preferring a healthy lifestyle has doubled. During the summer of 2018, Moscow hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Luzhniki Stadium was renovated in the run-up to the event, and home stadiums for Spartak and CSKA were also built.

In the past few years, Moscow built 42 new cultural facilities and restored over 1,000 architectural landmarks, including the Arch of Triumph on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, the Pashkov House, the Gnessin School of Music, the Izvestia building, Helikon Opera, and many others as well.

Moscow city governed Moscow city is governed by a system of local government that consists of a Mayor, a City Duma (legislative body), and various executive bodies. The current Mayor of Moscow is Sergey Sobyanin, who has been in office since 2010. The City Duma is made up of 45 deputies who are elected for a term of five years. The executive bodies of Moscow city government are responsible for implementing policies and programs as directed by the Mayor and the City Duma. These bodies include the Moscow City Government, which is headed by the Mayor, and various departments responsible for areas such as transportation, education, and healthcare.

Building and courtyard Moscow smart city strategy

By 2015, the city renovated 105,900 residential building entrances and sections and replaced 29,500 lifts in apartment houses. In all, 21,875 courtyards were improved in 2011-2016. Parking space volumes tripled, and 17,353 new playgrounds and 4,487 sports facilities were installed

City projects

Moscow pioneered the development of key city-life aspects . Other Russian cities utilize the capital’s experience in implementing city-level projects to create a people-friendly urban environment, to modernize the transport sector, and implement IT projects at local schools

Route connectivity

The system is intended for the metro, surface transport, pedestrian spaces, the city’s bike-share network, and transit hubs, and it facilitates orientation along the way on the ground and underground. Each component is designed for a specific place, where it helps plan a route.

City maps for pedestrians have appeared in Moscow for the first time. All of them are designed with due account of the person’s location. It is marked “You are here.” The maps are oriented so that everything on the right is also to the right of the person looking at the map. Those accustomed to cardinal directions for orientation will see an arrow pointing to the north. The maps have circles indicating a five-minute walk from their location.

Metro Exits

Metro exits are now numbered clockwise. This helps people find the right direction. Major interchange hubs comprising several stations (Okhotny Ryad — Teatralnaya — Ploshchad Revolyutsii) have consecutive numbering. In addition, exits adapted for passengers with impaired mobility are marked with ramp and lift icons.

City landmarks that help orient visitors are marked with images and icons. This helps people identify them quicker and find the desired direction. Landmarks are indicated in the navigation system and serve as additional reference points.

LATEST POSTS #post-grid-4062 .element_0{display: block ;font-family: Quicksand; font-weight: 300; font-size: 36px;color: white; text-decoration: none; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-4062 .element_0:hover{}#post-grid-4062 .item{ background:#fff; } /*Write your CSS code here*/ #post-grid-4062 .pagination .page-numbers, #post-grid-4062 .pagination .pager{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-4062 .pagination .page-numbers:hover, #post-grid-4062 .pagination .page-numbers.current, #post-grid-4062 .pagination .pager.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-4062 .nav-filter .filter{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-4062 .nav-filter .filter:hover, #post-grid-4062 .nav-filter .filter.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-4062 .owl-dots .owl-dot { background: #e6e6e6 none repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-4062 { padding:0px; background: url() repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-4062 .item .layer-media{height:auto;overflow: hidden; }#post-grid-4062 .item{ margin:6px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) {#post-grid-4062 .item{height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) {#post-grid-4062 .item{max-height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 0px ) and ( max-width: 767px ){#post-grid-4062 .item{height:auto;}} @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) { #post-grid-4062 .item{width:618px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) { #post-grid-4062 .item{width:600px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 320px ) and ( max-width: 767px ) { #post-grid-4062 .item{width:100%} } post_grid_masonry_enable = "no"; jQuery(document).ready(function($){ }); Defining Personal Values: What kind of man am I? The Paradox of Connectivity: More People, Less Humanity jQuery(document).ready(function($) { $("#post-grid-4062 .layer-media .gallery").owlCarousel({ items : 1, navText : ["",""], autoplay: true, loop: true, autoHeight : true, nav : false, dots : false, }) }); /*Write your js code here*/

Government #post-grid-117117 .element_0{display: block ;font-family: quicksand; font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px;color: white; text-decoration: none; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-117117 .element_0:hover{}#post-grid-117117 .item{ background:#fff; } /*write your css code here*/ #post-grid-117117 .pagination .page-numbers, #post-grid-117117 .pagination .pager{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117117 .pagination .page-numbers:hover, #post-grid-117117 .pagination .page-numbers.current, #post-grid-117117 .pagination .pager.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117117 .nav-filter .filter{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117117 .nav-filter .filter:hover, #post-grid-117117 .nav-filter .filter.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117117 .owl-dots .owl-dot { background: #e6e6e6 none repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117117 { padding:0px; background: url() repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117117 .item .layer-media{height:auto;overflow: hidden; }#post-grid-117117 .item{ margin:6px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) {#post-grid-117117 .item{height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) {#post-grid-117117 .item{max-height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 0px ) and ( max-width: 767px ){#post-grid-117117 .item{height:auto;}} @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) { #post-grid-117117 .item{width:302px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) { #post-grid-117117 .item{width:600px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 320px ) and ( max-width: 767px ) { #post-grid-117117 .item{width:100%} } post_grid_masonry_enable = "no"; jquery(document).ready(function($){ }); revolutionizing municipal services: exploring the future of cities why won’t government abolish water and utility bills 21st century production: an in-depth look at the updated production factors global government types and their examples from history jquery(document).ready(function($) { $("#post-grid-117117 .layer-media .gallery").owlcarousel({ items : 1, navtext : ["",""], autoplay: true, loop: true, autoheight : true, nav : false, dots : false, }) }); /*write your js code here*/, people #post-grid-117122 .element_0{display: block ;font-family: quicksand; font-weight: 600; font-size: 20px;color: black; text-decoration: none; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-117122 .element_1{display: block;font-family: pt sans; font-size: 16px;color: black; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-117122 .element_0:hover{}#post-grid-117122 .element_1:hover{}#post-grid-117122 .item{ background:#fff; } /*write your css code here*/ #post-grid-117122 .pagination .page-numbers, #post-grid-117122 .pagination .pager{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117122 .pagination .page-numbers:hover, #post-grid-117122 .pagination .page-numbers.current, #post-grid-117122 .pagination .pager.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117122 .nav-filter .filter{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117122 .nav-filter .filter:hover, #post-grid-117122 .nav-filter .filter.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117122 .owl-dots .owl-dot { background: #e6e6e6 none repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117122 { padding:0px; background: url() repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117122 .item .layer-media{height:auto;overflow: hidden; }#post-grid-117122 .item{ margin:1px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) {#post-grid-117122 .item{height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) {#post-grid-117122 .item{max-height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 0px ) and ( max-width: 767px ){#post-grid-117122 .item{height:auto;}} @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) { #post-grid-117122 .item{width:1280px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) { #post-grid-117122 .item{width:600px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 320px ) and ( max-width: 767px ) { #post-grid-117122 .item{width:90%} } post_grid_masonry_enable = "no"; jquery(document).ready(function($){ }); complexity of holistic vs. analytical thinking process two main types of thinking that differ in the nature of cognitive processes: analytical (reductionist) and holistic (intuitive). 22 steps to make the world a better place: a guide to creating positive change looking for ways to create positive change in the world check out our guide on 10 actionable steps you can take to make a difference. from volunteering to reducing your carbon footprint, we've got you covered. start making a difference to be rich you have to think fractally we will explain the fractal effect on the easiest topic to understand. on money and saving, or better say “how can we get rich” jquery(document).ready(function($) { $("#post-grid-117122 .layer-media .gallery").owlcarousel({ items : 1, navtext : ["",""], autoplay: true, loop: true, autoheight : true, nav : false, dots : false, }) }); /*write your js code here*/, cities #post-grid-106715 .element_0{display: block ;font-family: quicksand; font-weight: 300; font-size: 36px;color: white; text-decoration: none; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-106715 .element_0:hover{}#post-grid-106715 .item{ background:#fff; } /*write your css code here*/ #post-grid-106715 .pagination .page-numbers, #post-grid-106715 .pagination .pager{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-106715 .pagination .page-numbers:hover, #post-grid-106715 .pagination .page-numbers.current, #post-grid-106715 .pagination .pager.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-106715 .nav-filter .filter{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-106715 .nav-filter .filter:hover, #post-grid-106715 .nav-filter .filter.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-106715 .owl-dots .owl-dot { background: #e6e6e6 none repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-106715 { padding:0px; background: url() repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-106715 .item .layer-media{height:auto;overflow: hidden; }#post-grid-106715 .item{ margin:6px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) {#post-grid-106715 .item{height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) {#post-grid-106715 .item{max-height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 0px ) and ( max-width: 767px ){#post-grid-106715 .item{height:auto;}} @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) { #post-grid-106715 .item{width:618px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) { #post-grid-106715 .item{width:600px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 320px ) and ( max-width: 767px ) { #post-grid-106715 .item{width:99%} } post_grid_masonry_enable = "no"; jquery(document).ready(function($){ }); 1994, craigmillar, scotland calgary jquery(document).ready(function($) { $("#post-grid-106715 .layer-media .gallery").owlcarousel({ items : 1, navtext : ["",""], autoplay: true, loop: true, autoheight : true, nav : false, dots : false, }) }); /*write your js code here*/, sustainability #post-grid-117118 .element_0{display: block ;font-family: quicksand; font-weight: 400; font-size: 20px;color: white; text-decoration: none; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-117118 .element_0:hover{}#post-grid-117118 .item{ background:#fff; } /*write your css code here*/ #post-grid-117118 .pagination .page-numbers, #post-grid-117118 .pagination .pager{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117118 .pagination .page-numbers:hover, #post-grid-117118 .pagination .page-numbers.current, #post-grid-117118 .pagination .pager.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117118 .nav-filter .filter{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117118 .nav-filter .filter:hover, #post-grid-117118 .nav-filter .filter.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117118 .owl-dots .owl-dot { background: #e6e6e6 none repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117118 { padding:0px; background: url() repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117118 .item .layer-media{height:auto;overflow: hidden; }#post-grid-117118 .item{ margin:6px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) {#post-grid-117118 .item{height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) {#post-grid-117118 .item{max-height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 0px ) and ( max-width: 767px ){#post-grid-117118 .item{height:auto;}} @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) { #post-grid-117118 .item{width:302px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) { #post-grid-117118 .item{width:600px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 320px ) and ( max-width: 767px ) { #post-grid-117118 .item{width:100%} } post_grid_masonry_enable = "no"; jquery(document).ready(function($){ }); unmanned transportation building roads that will charge cars ai – a new era in transport and logistics transformation top innovative renewable energy companies and startups jquery(document).ready(function($) { $("#post-grid-117118 .layer-media .gallery").owlcarousel({ items : 1, navtext : ["",""], autoplay: true, loop: true, autoheight : true, nav : false, dots : false, }) }); /*write your js code here*/, technology #post-grid-117119 .element_0{display: block ;font-family: quicksand; font-weight: 300; font-size: 36px;color: white; text-decoration: none; line-height: normal;padding: 0px 0px 5px 10px; text-align: left;} #post-grid-117119 .element_0:hover{}#post-grid-117119 .item{ background:#fff; } /*write your css code here*/ #post-grid-117119 .pagination .page-numbers, #post-grid-117119 .pagination .pager{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117119 .pagination .page-numbers:hover, #post-grid-117119 .pagination .page-numbers.current, #post-grid-117119 .pagination .pager.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117119 .nav-filter .filter{ font-size:17px; color:#fff; background:#646464; }#post-grid-117119 .nav-filter .filter:hover, #post-grid-117119 .nav-filter .filter.active{ background:#4b4b4b; }#post-grid-117119 .owl-dots .owl-dot { background: #e6e6e6 none repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117119 { padding:0px; background: url() repeat scroll 0 0; }#post-grid-117119 .item .layer-media{height:auto;overflow: hidden; }#post-grid-117119 .item{ margin:6px;}@media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) {#post-grid-117119 .item{height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) {#post-grid-117119 .item{max-height:auto;}}@media only screen and ( min-width: 0px ) and ( max-width: 767px ){#post-grid-117119 .item{height:auto;}} @media only screen and (min-width: 1024px ) { #post-grid-117119 .item{width:618px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 768px ) and ( max-width: 1023px ) { #post-grid-117119 .item{width:600px} } @media only screen and ( min-width: 320px ) and ( max-width: 767px ) { #post-grid-117119 .item{width:100%} } post_grid_masonry_enable = "no"; jquery(document).ready(function($){ }); living in the smartphone era top 10 technology trends of 2023 jquery(document).ready(function($) { $("#post-grid-117119 .layer-media .gallery").owlcarousel({ items : 1, navtext : ["",""], autoplay: true, loop: true, autoheight : true, nav : false, dots : false, }) }); /*write your js code here*/.

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