Smart Homes Aren’t Just About the House!

Jason I. Hong

Human-Computer Interaction Institute

School of Computer Science

“Remove a quart of milk. There’s a Chernobyl-like chain reaction. The fridge scans the bar code as the carton leaves. It e-mails the grocery dot-com and a delivery service. The broken coffee maker, misinterpreting a burst of e-mail, jumps into action with a vague burning stench.”

- Bruce Sterling

When Smart Homes Go BadA Cautionary Tale

• #1 – We need to focus less on the tech, and more supporting existing activities and concerns– Child care: getting kids to school, caring for babies

– Home maintenance: lights, termites, bills

– Family coordination: kids, grandparents, friends

• #2 – We need to remember that houses are part of a bigger picture– Part of the local neighborhood and community

– Part of the local environment

My Position on Smart HomesSmart homes aren’t just about the house!

Talk Overview

• What are smart homes good for?– How smart homes can support key activities

– How smart homes can be part of larger community

• How to make it happen?– What are the R&D issues in making smart homes happen?

What are Smart Homes Good For?

• Some Key Activities and Concerns– Home security– Entertainment– Family Coordination– Personal Health– The Truly Boring that Should Stay Boring

• Larger community– Environmentally “green” houses

– Connecting with neighbors

• Value proposition: safety for you and your family• Safety from intruders already well-established• Sensor-based systems enable new areas:

– “Is the gas leaking?”

– “What’s in the water?”

– “Is the oven off?”

What are Smart Homes Good For?Home Security

• Value proposition: great fun• Again, well-established market

– Smart toys, Home theaters, Video games

• New twists:– How about make it easier to find neighbors and compete?

– Games where you learn something “useful”?

What are Smart Homes Good For?Entertainment

• Value proposition: stay in touch, know your neighbors• Carpooling• Always on connection with close friends• WiFi NeighborNode• “How much is our community recycling?”

What are Smart Homes Good For?Connection with friends, family, and neighbors

I’m leaving now

• Value proposition: stay in better health• Suite of mobile and fixed wireless devices• “Great weather outside, how about walking today?”• Intel Research Seattle – Group coordination• Smart toilets

What are Smart Homes Good For?Personal Health

• Value proposition: We’ll warn you before it’s too late• “Are (ants / termites / roaches) invading?”• “Are my sewer pipes okay?” (Yuk!)• “Your plants need water…”

What are Smart Homes Good For?The Truly Boring that Should Stay Boring

• Value proposition: save energy and money• Add “smarts” that also encourage sustainable behavior

– “Are my windows leaking warm air in winter?”

– “Did you know you can save water if…”

– “Opening up the windows could increase sunlight.”

What are Smart Homes Good For?“Green” Houses

Some R&D Issues with Smart Homes

• Computer Security• Unified Interaction Experience• Deployability

• Problem:– Few people can make their home wifi networks secure

– Security will only get worse as more devices and homes are wirelessly networked

• Some ideas:– Better user interfaces for configuration

– Simpler and understandable security models• Ex. physically limited channels

• Prognostication:– Will remain very messy for a long time

– Huge risks in accidentally sabotaging the market

Research Issues with Smart HomesComputer Security

• Problem:– #1 – “How do I get my home to…”

• Some houses so complex, have to hire someone to set temperature

– #2 – “Why did my house do that?”• Complexity, emergent behavior, ex. temperature oscillates

• Some ideas:– Design patterns for the home, ex. power cycle– Simplicity: tech-heavy features favored by engineers,

again focus on key activities

• Prognostication:– De facto standards (Microsoft, Sony, Krupps, etc)– Will remain ugly for a long time as contenders fight

Research Issues with Smart HomesUnified Interaction Experience

• Problem:– How to move from research concept to real homes?

• Some ideas:– Incremental deployment, can add new toaster, just works

– Managing power, can’t replace hundreds of batteries a day

– Maintenance, needs to just work

– Marketing• People don’t want to be green, they want to save money

• Prognostication:– Insurance companies will advocate (ex. the Club or Lojack)

– Bundled with entertainment (XBox) and media (Apple)

Research Issues with Smart HomesDeployability

• Lots of new technologies and capabilities coming…– Computation and communication in all form factor

• Don’t just focus on the technology• Don’t just focus on the physical house• Focus on key activities as well as community goals

– Stronger family interactions

– Strong vibrant communities

– Environmentally “green” houses

• Lots of challenges, lots of opportunities

Closing Thoughts

• “The interior of your own walls is less known to you than the far side of the moon – because you could summon up a detailed picture of the Jules Verne Crater on a Web site, pronto.”

-- Bruce Sterling

• Every appliance will have WiFi in it in 10 years– Implications? Network security? New interactions?

• All data will come in via IP– Implications of Voice over IP? TV over IP?

– New services? Programmability? End-user innovation?

Other Half-baked Thoughts

• “Everything from opening curtains to turning on lights or the air conditioner can be controlled from the plasma-display television in the living room using a single remote control.”

• “The house never runs out of beer. When there are only three cans of beer left in the refrigerator, an e-mail order for more will be sent to a store.”

• “Get off the lawn, you’re drunk again!”

What are Smart Homes Good For?And some not so good ideas…