Home Automation

What is home automation?

Home automation gives you access to control devices in your home from a mobile device
anywhere in the world. The term may be used for isolated programmable devices, like thermostats
and sprinkler systems, but home automation more accurately describes homes in which nearly
everything — lights, appliances, electrical outlets, heating and cooling systems — are hooked up to
a remotely controllable network. From a home security perspective, this also includes your alarm
system, and all of the doors, windows, locks, smoke detectors, surveillance cameras and any other
sensors that are linked to it.

Home automation developments

Until fairly recently, automated central control of building-wide systems was found only in
larger commercial buildings and expensive homes. Typically involving only lighting, heating and
cooling systems, building automation rarely provided more than basic control, monitoring and
scheduling functions and was accessible only from specific control points within the building itself.
Home automation is a step toward what is referred to as the “Internet of Things,” in which
everything has an assigned IP address, and can be monitored and accessed remotely. The first and
most obvious beneficiaries of this approach are “smart” devices and appliances that can be
connected to a local area network, via Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

Remote Control

The other main characteristic of cutting-edge home automation is remote monitoring and
access. While a limited amount of one-way remote monitoring has been possible for some time, it’s
only since the rise in smartphones and tablets that we’ve had the ability to truly connect to our
home networks while we’re away. With the right home automation system, you can use any
Internet-connected device to view and control the system itself and any attached devices.

Home Automation Components

What kinds of things can be part of a home automation system? Ideally, anything that can be
connected to a network can be automated and controlled remotely. In the real world (outside of
research labs and the homes of the rich and famous), home automation most commonly connects
simple binary devices. This includes “on and off” devices such as lights, power outlets and
electronic locks, but also devices such as security sensors which have only two states, open and
closed.
Where home automation becomes truly “smart” is in the Internet-enabled devices that attach to
this network and control it. The classic control unit is the home computer, for which many of the
earlier home automation systems were designed.

Energy Efficiency

One clear advantage of home automation is the unmatched potential for energy savings, and
therefore cost savings. Your thermostat is already “smart” in the sense that it uses a temperature
threshold to govern the home’s heating and cooling system.
In most cases, thermostats can also be programmed with different target temperatures in order to
keep energy usage at a minimum during the hours when you’re least likely to benefit from the
heating and cooling.

Natural-Language Processing

What is natural language processing?

Natural language processing (NLP) refers to the branch of computer science—and more
specifically, the branch of artificial intelligence or AI—concerned with giving computers the ability
to understand text and spoken words in much the same way human beings can. NLP combines
computational linguistics—rule-based modeling of human language—with statistical, machine
learning, and deep learning models. Together, these technologies enable computers to process
human language in the form of text or voice data and to ‘understand’ it’s full meaning, complete
with the speaker or writer’s intent and sentiment.

Integrated Sensors

What is integrated sensors?

An integrated sensor is a small apparatus that is designed to gather important data. These
types of sensors are combined or “integrated” with signal processing hardware in one compact
device. This all-in-one approach allows the sensor to send signals that can be used immediately,
without additional processing or amplification.

The combined sensing and signal processing capabilities make these units ideal for
“turnkey” solutions, where they can be installed with very few preparations. Integrated sensors can
save space and weight compared to other data gathering technologies. These types of sensors also
reduce the time needed to design a new device, since the data acquisition method does not need to
be re-engineered.

Virtual reality

What is virtual reality?

Virtual reality (VR) means experiencing things through our computers that don't really
exist. From that simple definition, the idea doesn't sound especially new. When you look at an
amazing Canaletto painting, for example, you're experiencing the sights and sounds of Italy as it
was about 250 years ago—so that's a kind of virtual reality. In the same way, if you listen to
ambient instrumental or classical music with your eyes closed, and start dreaming about things,
isn't that an example of virtual reality—an experience of a world that doesn't really exist?
Augmented Reality
What is augmented reality?

Augmented reality, in computer programming, a process of combining or “augmenting”

video or photographic displays by overlaying the images with useful computer-generated data. The
earliest applications of augmented reality were almost certainly the “heads-up-displays” (HUDs)
used in military airplanes and tanks, in which instrument panel-type information is projected onto
the same cockpit canopy or viewfinder through which a crew member sees the external
surroundings.

Faster computer processors have made it feasible to combine such data displays with real-
time video. Augmented reality is commonly used in electronic first-person shooter games to add
environmental, health, and other information to players’ viewpoints. (Various militaries have begun
to experiment with adding similar overlays to real soldiers using personal head-mounted visors.)

Mesh Networks

What is a mesh network?

A mesh network is a network in which devices -- or nodes -- are linked together, branching
off other devices or nodes. These networks are set up to efficiently route data between devices and
clients. They help organizations provide a consistent connection throughout a physical space.

Mesh network topologies create multiple routes for information to travel among connected
nodes. This approach increases the resilience of the network in case of a node or connection failure.
Larger mesh networks may include multiple routers, switches and other devices, which operate as
nodes. A mesh network can include hundreds of wireless mesh nodes, which allows it to span a
large area.

Big Data Analytics

What is Big Data Analytics?

The process of analysis of large volumes of diverse data sets, using advanced analytic
techniques is referred to as Big Data Analytics.

Big Data is a term that is used for data sets whose size or type is beyond the capturing,
managing, and processing ability of traditional rotational databases. The database required to
process big data should have low latency that traditional databases don’t have.

4 Types of Big Data Analytics

The different types of data require different approaches. This different approach of
analytics gives rise to the four different types of Big data analytics.
Big data analytics is categorized into four subcategories that are:

1. Descriptive Analytics
2. Diagnostic Analytics
3. Predictive Analytics
4. Prescriptive Analytics

1. Descriptive Analytics

Descriptive Analytics is considered a useful technique for uncovering patterns within a

certain segment of customers. It simplifies the data and summarizes past data into a readable form.

Descriptive analytics provide insights into what has occurred in the past and with the
trends to dig into for more detail. This helps in creating reports like a company’s revenue, profits,
sales, and so on. Examples of descriptive analytics include summary statistics, clustering, and
association rules used in market basket analysis.

2. Diagnostic Analytics

Diagnostic Analytics, as the name suggests, gives a diagnosis to a problem. It gives a detailed
and in-depth insight into the root cause of a problem.

Data scientists turn to this analytics craving for the reason behind a particular happening.
Techniques like drill-down, data mining, and data recovery, churn reason analysis, and customer
health score analysis are all examples of diagnostic analytics. In business terms, diagnostic analytics
is useful when you are researching the reasons leading churn indicators and usage trends among
your most loyal customers.

3. Predictive Analytics

Predictive Analytics, as can be discerned from the name itself, is concerned with predicting
future incidents. These future incidents can be market trends, consumer trends, and many such
market-related events.

This type of analytics makes use of historical and present data to predict future events. This
is the most commonly used form of analytics among businesses.

4. Prescriptive Analytics

Prescriptive analytics is the most valuable yet underused form of analytics. It is the next
step in predictive analytics. The prescriptive analysis explores several possible actions and suggests
actions depending on the results of descriptive and predictive analytics of a given dataset.

Prescriptive analytics is a combination of data and various business rules. The data of prescriptive
analytics can be both internal (organizational inputs) and external (social media insights).
Examples of prescriptive analytics for customer retention is the next best action and next best offer
analysis.
Mobile Money

What is mobile money?

Mobile payment generally refers to payment services operated under financial regulation
and performed from or via a mobile device. Instead of paying with cash, cheque, or credit cards, a
consumer can use a mobile to pay for a wide range of services and digital or hard goods.

Mobile financial services, known as “mobile money”, allow unbanked people to use their phones as
a bank account: to deposit, withdraw and transfer money with their handset. People can also use
mobile systems to pay utility bills and pay for goods in merchant shops.

Solar Power

What is solar power?

Solar power is the conversion of renewable energy from sunlight into electricity, either
directly using photo-voltaic, indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination.
Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large
area of sunlight into a small beam

Electric Vehicles

What is electric vehicles?

An electric vehicle (EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. It
can be powered by a collector system, with electricity from extravehicular sources, or it can be
powered autonomously by a battery (sometimes charged by solar panels, or by converting fuel to
electricity using fuel cells or a generator). [1] EVs include, but are not limited to, road and rail
vehicles, surface and underwater vessels, electric aircraft and electric spacecraft.

Next-Generation Batteries

Next-generation batteries take major step toward commercial viability.

Lithium-sulfur batteries have been hailed as the next big step in battery technology,
promising significantly longer use for everything from cellphones to electric vehicles on a single
charge, while being more environmentally sustainable to produce than current lithium-ion
batteries. However, these batteries don't last as long as their lithium-ion counterparts, degrading
over time.

Machine Learning
What is machine learning?

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science which
focuses on the use of data and algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually
improving its accuracy.

Machine learning is an important component of the growing field of data science. Through
the use of statistical methods, algorithms are trained to make classifications or predictions,
uncovering key insights within data mining projects. These insights subsequently drive decision
making within applications and businesses, ideally impacting key growth metrics. As big data
continues to expand and grow, the market demand for data scientists will increase, requiring them
to assist in the identification of the most relevant business questions and subsequently the data to
answer them.

Machine learning methods

Machine learning classifiers fall into three primary categories.

Supervised machine learning

Supervised learning, also known as supervised machine learning, is defined by its use of
labeled datasets to train algorithms that to classify data or predict outcomes accurately. As input
data is fed into the model, it adjusts its weights until the model has been fitted appropriately. This
occurs as part of the cross validation process to ensure that the model avoids over-fitting or under-
fitting.

Unsupervised machine learning

Unsupervised learning, also known as unsupervised machine learning, uses machine learning
algorithms to analyze and cluster unlabeled datasets. These algorithms discover hidden patterns or
data groupings without the need for human intervention. Its ability to discover similarities and
differences in information make it the ideal solution for exploratory data analysis, cross-selling
strategies, customer segmentation, image and pattern recognition. It’s also used to reduce the
number of features in a model through the process of dimensionality reduction; principal
component analysis (PCA) and singular value decomposition (SVD) are two common approaches
for this. Other algorithms used in unsupervised learning include neural networks, k-means
clustering, probabilistic clustering methods, and more.

Semi-supervised learning

Semi-supervised learning offers a happy medium between supervised and unsupervised

learning. During training, it uses a smaller labeled data set to guide classification and feature
extraction from a larger, unlabeled data set. Semi-supervised learning can solve the problem of
having not enough labeled data (or not being able to afford to label enough data) to train a
supervised learning algorithm.

Blockchain
What Is a Blockchain?

A blockchain is a distributed database that is shared among the nodes of a computer

network. As a database, a blockchain stores information electronically in digital format. Blockchains
are best known for their crucial role in cryptocurrency systems, such as Bitcoin, for maintaining a
secure and decentralized record of transactions. The innovation with a blockchain is that it
guarantees the fidelity and security of a record of data and generates trust without the need for a
trusted third party.

One key difference between a typical database and a blockchain is how the data is structured. A
blockchain collects information together in groups, known as blocks that hold sets of information.

Quantum Computing

What is quantum computing?

Quantum computing is a type of computation that harnesses the collective properties of

quantum states, such as superposition, interference, and entanglement, to perform calculations.
The devices that perform quantum computations are known as quantum computers. Though
current quantum computers are too small to outperform usual (classical) computers for practical
applications, they are believed to be capable of solving certain computational problems, such as
integer factorization (which underlies RSA encryption), substantially faster than classical
computers. The study of quantum computing is a subfield of quantum information science

Intelligence augmentation

What is Intelligence Augmentation?

Intelligence augmentation, or IA, is another conceptualization of AI or artificial intelligence.

It focuses on the assistive roles of AI with emphasis on the fact that it is meant to enhance human
intelligence rather than replace it. You may also hear it referred to as intelligence amplification,
assistive intelligence, machine augmented intelligence, or cognitive augmentation. The technology
focuses on the effective use of information technology in augmenting human intelligence. The
systems work to enhance human intelligence and improve human decision-making functions in
some way.

IA was designed as a result of fears and concerns about AI as a whole. As AI has evolved and
become more robust, there is a concern that AI technology may impact human life negatively.