Making our houses smart is something that is becoming more and more present. We see terms such as home automation or the Internet of Things very frequently. However, sometimes we can confuse what is what. That is why in this article we are going to talk about their differences. We are going to see what home automation is and how it differs from what we know as IoT or Internet of Things.
What is home automation
When we talk about home automation we refer to smart devices that we have at home . For example, light bulbs with Wi-Fi, an oven that connects to the network, a speaker that we can control by voice, automated blinds… These devices can also connect to each other on some occasions.
But one of the keys to everything is that they are devices that we have in our home and do not leave there. That is, we do not take out an air conditioner with Wi-Fi, nor an intelligent dishwasher. They are devices that we are basically going to use at home and nothing else. Its use will be limited in that sense.
It should be noted that home automation devices are not necessarily connected to the Internet, since some work through Bluetooth and other connections. For example we can mention smart light bulbs that connect to a hub, but not directly to the Internet network.
With home automation we will be able to perform several actions at the same time. For example, programming a function from the mobile so that at a certain time all the blinds are closed and the lights are turned off.
What is the Internet of Things
On the other hand we have the Internet of Things. A clear difference from home automation is that they are devices that we can use outside the home . We can even name sensors and devices that are on the street, such as traffic lights, parking sensors that are present in some places, etc.
These devices will be connected to the network . They will depend on a server to function. In addition, its main mission is to be able to send information from one device to another. It can be used in sectors such as health, to be able to constantly send data from a patient. However, it is also possible to have IoT devices in the home, such as temperature sensors.
We can say that the Internet of Things is also part of home automation, since we can apply it in a home. But the differential point is going to be that it is not exclusive to homes, but is also used in industries, on the street, in health…
In summary, we can conclude that home automation seeks to improve the day-to-day life of people in their homes, with smart appliances, automate tasks or be able to control devices. IoT devices are used especially for sending information and connecting devices, but not necessarily at home, but also in industries and many other places. IoT can also be said as the digital interconnection of objects that we use in our day to day.
