“JARVIS” – Smart Home Assistant Robot

Our home is our sanctuary. It is a place filled with love, stability, and security. Every crevice of our home is filled with heartfelt memories that will forever be treasured. As such, our home is of great importance to us. This is the place that has seen us in our lowest and highest points in life. Secrets are etched in every corner and comfort is radiated all over the walls of our lovely abode. In our neat, lovely home, we get to spend more time with our loved ones and take a break from the fast-paced work routine we have in the modern age.  Because of the comfort that our home brings, naturally, we want the interior and exterior to be in their best state. Not only for us but also with the guests coming over to visit. Sometimes, there will be moments when we can barely do the required house works.  Leaving our home untaken care of and the chores piling up into a mountainous heap. And when you do leave your home, either to go to your workplace or to go to pursue your education, the worry about the security of your home will start to gnaw on your person at times. Even if there are still people present in your home and taking care of it in your place, while you are dutifully carrying out your responsibilities, you still cannot guarantee its safety. And it is, even more, worse when you are living by yourself because all of the responsibilities of safeguarding your home fall into your hands.  It is truly fortunate that we are living in the age of modern technology and because of this plight regarding the safekeeping of our homes, the brilliant minds of innovators of the past had put forth the Smart Home Technology.

Smart Home Technology is also known by another name which is Home Automation. To avoid confusion, we will be referring to this helpful technology as the Home Automation. Now, this begs the question, what is Home Automation? According to the article written by Jim Hill (2015) entitled, “The Smart Home: A Glossary Guide for the perplexed”, Home Automation is the use of electronics to complete various household tasks with minimal human interaction. You will not need any servant to look out for your home because Home Automation will do their respective jobs even more efficiently. This particular piece of technology acts as your household servant. It gives you access to take control of any electrical household appliances no matter the distance. You can relay instructions on what you want your appliances to do, and you can turn them off or on via a controllable network. It is also incredibly convenient for the conservation of electricity, making the owner of the house pay fewer household bills. Home Automation deals not only with household chores, but it can also provide sufficient security to your home. You are able to integrate complex security countermeasures to prevent any unwanted entry to your abode. Home Automation truly is something that can only be heard of in a piece of sci-fi media. It is thanks to the brilliant innovative minds of the past that this scientific-fantasy- like technology sprang into real life and began to aid us in our daily lives.

Uses and importance of home automation:

What is smart home automation?

We are, without a doubt, living in the golden age of technological advancement. We’ve gone from relying on corded phones for the majority of our communication to small computers in our pockets capable of dozens of simultaneous communication operations in the last couple of decades.

If smartphones were one of the most significant technological advances of the 2000s, the development of smart homes is the next great step in the 2010s.

WHAT DOES SMART HOME AUTOMATION REPRESENT?

Any collection of devices, appliances, or systems that
link to a common network and can be controlled independently and remotely is
referred to as smart home technology. It’s also known as a “connected
home” when all of your home technology is integrated into one system. Your
home’s thermostat, lighting, audio speakers, TVs, security cameras, locks,
appliances, and more are all connected into a single system that you can
control with your phone or a mobile touch screen device.

Smart home automation gives you access to high-tech
functionality and luxury that you couldn’t have before. The opportunities for
consumer home automation to make life easier and more enjoyable will continue
to expand as technology advances.

THE MAJOR BENEFITS

You could think of smart home automation as a fun way to stay up with the latest technology or a means for homeowners to flaunt their wealth, but it has some incredible (and undeniably) practical benefits. Do you want some examples? They are as follows:

1. All of your home devices may be controlled from one location. The convenience factor is huge here. The ability to integrate all of your house’s equipment through a single interface is a huge step forward for technology and home management. In theory, all you’ll need is to learn how to use one app on your smartphone or tablet to access a plethora of functions and gadgets across your home. This reduces the learning curve for new users and makes it simpler to get the features you really want for your household.
2. New technologies and equipment require flexibility. When it comes to accommodating new devices, appliances, and other technology, smart home systems are remarkably adaptable. No matter how cutting-edge your appliances appear today, newer, more spectacular versions will be created over time. You’ll undoubtedly add to your gadget collection as you replace older ones or learn about new technology to complement your indoor and outdoor environments. Being able to smoothly integrate these newcomers will make your job as a homeowner a lot easier, and it will help you to keep up with the latest lifestyle technologies.
3.  Increasing your home’s security. Your home security can rise when you include security and surveillance capabilities into your smart home network. There are numerous choices available, but just a few dozen are actively being investigated. House automation systems, for example, can connect motion detectors, surveillance cameras, automated door locks, and other tangible security measures across your home so that you can control them all from one mobile device before going to bed. You can also select to receive security warnings on your various devices at different times of the day, and you can watch actions in real time whether you’re at home or halfway around the world.
4. Home functions can be controlled remotely. Don’t underestimate the value of being able to control the functions of your home from afar. On a very hot day, you can have your house cool down just in time for you to go home from work. You can have your oven start to warm while you’re still driving home if you’re in a hurry to get dinner started but you’re still at the grocery. You may also check to see if you left the lights on, who is at your front door, and whether or not you turned off all of your media while you were gone.
5. Improved appliance performance. Smart homes can also improve the efficiency of your equipment. A smart TV will assist you in finding better apps and channels to find your favorite shows. A smart oven will help you cook your chicken to perfection, without having to worry about it overcooking or undercooking. When entertaining guests, a well-designed home theater and audio system may make maintaining your movie and music collection a breeze. Finally, using automation technologies to connect your appliances and other systems will increase appliance effectiveness and make your home life much easier and pleasurable!
6. Insights towards home management There’s certainly much to be said for your ability to gain knowledge about how your house works. You can track how often you watch TV (and what you watch), what types of meals you prepare in the oven, what goods you store in your refrigerator, and how much energy you use over time. You may be able to assess your everyday patterns and behaviors using these insights, and make changes to live the lifestyle you desire.
7. Energy efficiency has improved. It’s possible to make your home more energy-efficient depending on how you employ smart-home technologies. A programmable smart thermostat, for example, can provide you more exact control over your home’s heating and cooling by learning your schedule and temperature preferences and then suggesting the most energy-efficient settings throughout the day. As the sun sets, lights and motorized shades can be programmed to transition to an evening mode, or lights can turn on and off automatically as you enter or leave the room, so you never waste energy.

What is the process of home automation?

• Home automation is a network of hardware, communication, and electronic interfaces that operate together over the Internet to connect daily things. Each item contains sensors and is connected to the internet through WiFi, allowing you to control them from anywhere in the world using your smartphone or tablet. No matter where you are, you can turn on the lights, lock the front door, or even dial down the thermostat.

Sensors, controllers, and actuators are the three major components of a home automation system.

• Changes in sunshine, temperature, or motion detection can all be monitored using sensors. Home automation systems can then customize those (and other) settings to your needs.
• Controllers are the devices that send and receive messages regarding the state of automated elements in your house. They might be personal computers, tablets, or smartphones.
• Light switches, motors, and motorized valves are examples of actuators that control the actual mechanism or function of a home automation system. They’re set up to respond to a remote order from a controller.

Innovations in home automation

Only large commercial buildings and affluent households had automated central control of building-wide systems until recently. Building automation, which usually mainly involved lighting, heating, and cooling systems, rarely provided more than basic control, monitoring, and scheduling features, and was only available from certain control locations within the building.

Home automation is a step toward the Internet of Things, where everything has an IP address and can be monitored and accessed remotely.

Smart gadgets and appliances that connect to a local area network through Ethernet or Wi-Fi are the first and most evident benefactors of this method.

Nonetheless, Electrical systems as well as individual points such as light switches and outlets, have been incorporated into home automation networks, and corporations have even looked into the potential of IP-based inventory management.

Although the day will come when you can hunt down a missing sock using your mobile browser, home networks are becoming more capable of accommodating an increasing number of devices and systems.

Automation

Unsurprisingly, one of the two fundamental aspects of home automation is automation. The capacity to program and schedule events for network devices is referred to as automation.

Time-related commands, such as having your lights switch on and off at specified times during the day, may be included in the programming. It can also include unplanned activities, such as turning on all of the lights in your house when your security system goes off.

You may come up with a variety of beneficial and innovative ideas to improve your life once you begin to comprehend the potential of home automation scheduling.

Is there too much light coming in through that west-facing window? Connect your motorized blinds to a smart outlet and set it to close every day at noon.

Do you have someone that walks the dog at the same time every day? Program your home automation system to unlock and lock the front door for them when they’re finished.

Remote control

Remote monitoring and access are another important feature of cutting-edge home automation. While one-way remote monitoring has been available for some time, we’ve only had the capacity to genuinely connect to our home networks while we’re away with the development of smartphones and tablets.

With the correct home automation system, you can view and control the system and any linked devices from any Internet-connected device.

Monitoring apps may provide a lot of information about your house, ranging from present condition to a complete history of what has occurred. You may check the status of your security system, the status of your lights, the status of your doors, the current temperature of your home, and much more.

You can even pull up real-time video feeds and observe what’s going on in your home while you’re away with cameras as part of your home automation system.

Simple notifications can be used to accomplish a variety of vital functions. You can set your security system to send you a text message or an email if it detects a possible problem, such as severe weather alerts, motion detection warnings, or fire alarms.

You may also set your smart lock to notify you when your child arrives home from school, for example. When you use your remote app to communicate with your home automation system, you get genuine hands-on control. You may arm and disarm your security system from anywhere in the world, as well as change the scheduling, lock and unlock doors, reset the temperature, and adjust the lighting.

Components of home automation

What can be integrated into a home automation system? Anything that can be connected to a network should be able to be automated and managed remotely in theory. Home automation most typically integrates simple binary gadgets in the real world (outside of research labs and the homes of the rich and famous).

This covers both “on and off” equipment like lights, power outlets, and electronic locks, as well as “open and closed” devices like security sensors.

The Internet-enabled gadgets that connect to and operate this network are where home automation becomes truly smart. Many of the earliest home automation systems were intended for the home computer, which is the standard control unit.

Today’s home automation systems are more likely to split programming and monitoring control between a specialized device in the home, such as a security system’s control panel, and a user-friendly app interface accessible via an Internet-connected PC, smartphone, or tablet.

Manufacturers have created a wide range of smart gadgets, many of which have unique features but lack the level of integration required to be part of a complete home automation system. The fact that each manufacturer has a distinct concept about how these devices should be connected and controlled has exacerbated the situation.

So, while you might have a smart TV, washing machine, refrigerator, thermostat, coffee maker, or any other Internet-ready household gadget, the end result is usually a separate control scheme for each device.

Home automation may be standardized in the near future, allowing us to fully use all of these new possibilities. For the time being, home security and automation companies have concentrated on the most important and beneficial aspects of a connected house.

At its most basic level, this refers to the doors and windows, as well as the environmental systems that keep you safe and comfortable (thermostats, smoke detectors, temperature, humidity, fire, and carbon dioxide sensors).

Home automation solutions from security suppliers should incorporate video camera alternatives for further real-time security, convenience, and control. You’ll be able to incorporate lighting and individual electrical outlets into your home automation package with the top solutions.

The History of Home Automation

The very beginnings of Home Automation can be traced back to the widespread use of electricity and the ever-increasing advancement of technology back in the 1700s-1800s and to the early 1900s. Electricity-powered home appliances began to appear between 1915-1920 and the decrease in manpower to do all the housework led to the need for cheap and mechanical replacements. Modern home automation ideas also rose from the Worlds’ Fair in the 1930s. In the article entitled, “How our homes became smart: The history of home automation”, The House of Tomorrow exhibition at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933 was a decisive event in the history of automation as it struck the audience with awe by displaying a wide array of futuristic devices such as electric lights with adjustable dimming feature, built-in dishwashers, central air conditioning system, and electric garage door openers to name a few.  In a blog post entitled, “A Brief History of Smart Home Automation”, technological historians point to Nikola Tesla’s remote control for a toy as the catalyst for Home Automation.  In reference to Linley Stringer‘s (2021) blog entitled, “The History of Home Automation”. Tesla’s demonstration of a remote-controlled toy boat using radio signals laid the foundations of modern-day home automation. Nikola Tesla was a misunderstood genius and unbeknownst to the people who mocked him during his time, his extraordinary works became the blueprint for the technology that we know of today. The technology that revolves around remote control was tested in the military. Electronics used in the military were further developed through the application of the remote control. However, its resounding impact was more prominent in American households back in the 1950s with the emergence of the remote-controlled television. No doubt It was truly a revolutionary piece of technology. No longer will the average American manually change the channel on their television because, with a simple click of a button, they can do it from the comfort of their cozy couch or bed. As the newly upgraded televisions continued to entertain the masses from their humble abodes, places of research, such as laboratories, were filled with computers. In order to obtain more sufficient and accurate data, computers back then needed to be able to process information at an incredibly fast rate. The technology that surfaced from the remote-controlled televisions, paved the way for the birthed of fast-processing computers. Back then, only people from the government or the rich were able to use computers for their own benefit. The public did not have these privileges. In the late 1970s and early 1980s however, came the invention of personal computers and the public was able to experience the beauty of computers firsthand. The evolution of digital computers put forth the groundworks of Home Automation.

The existence of Wireless networks was the final key to achieving the true essence of Home Automation. In the article written by Jenny Stanley (2021) entitled, “The History of Smart Home Technology”, she stated that the modern beginning of home automation was back in 1975 when X10 was released. It is a home automation program that uses radio frequency to send digital information to electrical home appliances’ wiring. Like modern-day home automation, this technology allowed people to control devices in their homes with the use of command consoles and modules. As our society continues to rapidly advance, so too does our technology. And with the evolution of our technology, more brand-new innovations are created to cater to our needs. The previous innovations that aided people from the past meanwhile undergo massive upgrades for the modern folks. Home Automation is one of the examples that is still being used. However, it is now more advance than ever. The features and functions of Home Automation were upgraded to their utmost potential. It has been completely modernized for the use of the public. Regular people are not the only ones demanding more. Industrial and business sectors are also in need of the procurement of Home Automation. The evolution of Home Automation was a groundbreaking feat. People from the past would have been starstruck that the technology that they long thought belonged to a very distant future is now being widely used by everyone.

Inventors and innovations in the era of AI and its impact on Home Automation

Since the time of cavemen, every technological discovery has been made by a human being: the digging stick, the scraper, the wheel, the car, penicillin. For many years, nobody challenged a worldwide legal approach that only a human being can be an inventor. It was until an American scientist and inventor, Doctor Stephen Thaler created an artificial intelligence (AI) Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience (DABUS) and tried to change the established view. In 2018-2019, Dr. Thaler conducted a fascinating experiment that was eventually only a first step in a long road to understanding if AI can be a creator, innovator, and inventor.

The lack of certainty here may lead to long-lasting consequences for innovation and the economic development of nations. Observers believe that if AI-devised inventions are unable to be patented, there may be less investment in this technology. In this case, AI-generated products should be placed in a public domain. Alternatively, AI works protection may incentivize investment in AI and the use of AI systems. Though, a proliferation of patents covering AI-devised inventions might have a detrimental impact on R&D, leading to a decrease of researchers and, generally, jolting the current intellectual property regime, which relies on the “human inventor” rather than on “AI inventor”.

DABUS, the inventor

This discussion became hot after DABUS, without any human help, created an improved food container that used fractal geometry to change its shape. Dr. Thaler submitted patent applications in several countries naming AI as an inventor. The prosecution of applications went in different directions in different countries.

The patent offices in the UK, EU, and the US rejected granting inventorship to an AI machine, pointing out that an inventor must be a human being, not a machine. Nevertheless, the patent applications went off the road in South Africa and Australia. In June 2021, South Africa became the first country globally to accept the possibility for an AI to be an inventor. Now you may find the following text in the inventor’s name line: “DABUS. The invention was automatically generated by an artificial intelligence”.

The following month, the Federal court of Australia sided with Dr. Thaler and overturned the Australian patent office’s decision to reject granting inventorship to an AI machine. Here is a very testimonial paragraph from the court’s opinion: “…Who is the inventor? And if a human is required, who? The programmer? The owner? The operator? The trainer? The person who provided input data? All of the above? None of the above? In my view, in some cases, it may be none of the above. In some cases, the better analysis … is to say that the system itself is the inventor. That would reflect the reality”.

Threat to human-devised inventions?

Indeed, data-driven AI is rapidly becoming ingrained in many facets of society, from voice and facial recognition systems to automatic language translation services to customer service chatbots and virtual assistants. But as with all great inventions, advances in AI also present new concerns and uncertainties to social and economic norms and structures.

Right now, AI is literally challenging the essence of innovation. A standard mechanism of invention starts with research and ends up with parents and benefits. But AI seems to do everything by itself, so it can lessen the incentives for innovations and question the beneficiaries. Clearly, AI identified existential questions about the core tenets of the patent system including ownership, inventorship, and infringement. And the DABUS case aggravated such an issue.

What is to be done?

The degree of depth of this discussion varies in different countries. But the question of what to do next is acute almost everywhere and there is no clear answer. The graph below shows different AI policies that leading economies utilize. The policies are limited to database rights and national AI strategies. One of a few good practices is a series of consultations happening in the UK on how to regulate AI-devised inventions.

The Impact of AI on Home Automation

Home Automation has already proven itself to be an extremely helpful application of technology. Providing its users with top-notch quality service in the many tasks that revolve around taking care of your home. The advent of Artificial Intelligence led to the massive upgrade of Home Automation. Technological industries and key sectors have implemented Home Automation with Artificial Intelligence with smart devices to enable the increase of their connectivity in the Home Automation network. The Artificial Intelligence used in Home Automation deals with the connection of various IoT (Internet of Things) devices as well as superior processing and learning capacities, and able to predict human behavior. Smart home gadgets powered by Artificial Intelligence can communicate with one another and collect new data to aid in the understanding of human habits. The information gathered is used to predict user behavior and establish situational awareness, or the ability to understand user preferences and adjust parameters accordingly.

The use of Artificial Intelligence in Home Automation helps with data collection from devices connected in the network of Home Automation, able to predict the users’ behavior, maintain data provision, and data security and privacy enhancement. Its presence in home automation allows us to operate our home appliances, secure our homes, and so on without the need for human participation because of its ability to conduct particular activities for the user automatically.

A Detailed Discussion about Project JARVIS- A Smart Home Robot

We have previously discussed the definition of Home Automation, its uses and functions, the benefits it brings to society, and its history. You are now familiar with what Home Automation is and its subsequent upgrade when Artificial Intelligence was integrated into it. It is now the perfect time to introduce our project which is a Home Automation Artificial Intelligence system. We, the students of San Agustin, have decided to create a Home Automation AI named “JARVIS”—a Smart Home Assistant Robot. “JARVIS” is programmed to provide high-quality household service. Working through a gadget, JARVIS will turn on your appliances for you. There is no need to interrupt your work or personal time because the Home Automation AI requires only a simple press of a button to complete household tasks in your home. You will have the freedom to finish your work and some free time for leisure thanks to the assistance of JARVIS.

“JARVIS”- Smart Home Assistant Robot was created to assist people living in a household by reducing their workload and making them feel more relaxed while at home. When it comes to electric appliances, this robot will do everything. For example, if you want to listen to the news on the radio, you simply tell the robot to do so and it will play it for you. You can even tell the robot to turn on the air conditioner when you’re feeling hot and want to cool down. Simple tasks can make you feel lethargic because you become weary doing them over and over again, especially after a long day at work. So instead of doing repeated and redundant tasks, you can instead just tell the robot what to do and have fewer things to worry about.

When you want things to work, like fans, radios, and TVs, you can simply tell this A.I. what to do by typing certain phrases through your devices. This project is an illustration of what technology we might have in the future in our communities to make our lives easier and to make us feel better than if we did it ourselves. This was only a small portion of what we may have in the future as humans. Perhaps they will improve the project we present. We may not know what future generations of people can do with the resources and tools we have.

How does JARVIS work?

JARVIS works similarly to any other Home Automation system albeit in more simple and non-complex way. The Robot is programmed to receive instructions from the owner and will relay the owner’s demands to the various devices connected and do it. This includes the operation of household appliances. For this to happen, the AI is designed with sensory detectors and various methods of input for the tasks to be accomplished. In this, the person shall experience home comfort without exerting much effort

The Significance of JARVIS

The significance of this project is that it will allow us to live a more convenient and inventive existence. We created this smart home automation A.I. to provide better security. It also serves to manage the smart gadgets you have in your home, allowing you and your family to save money by monitoring everything you use and switching it off when you don’t need or are not using it. We will also ensure that you have constant access to whatever devices you may own and keep track of the adjustments you will make over time. We will keep a close check on everything to ensure that you live in a peaceful environment. Not only will we provide you with control, but we will also provide you with amazing comfort because all of your smart appliances are adaptive. You won’t have to worry about forgetting to turn off the appliances since our “butler” will take care of it all for you, giving you much-needed peace of mind. You can now relax in your bed without worrying about anything except your work. To conclude, all of our hard work has been done for you to live a healthy and happy life free of worry.

“JARVIS” – Smart Home Assistant Robot is designed to make home conditions living easier. The Robot is programmed to receive instructions from the owner and will relay the owner’s demands to the various devices connected and do it. This includes the operation of household appliances. For this to happen, the AI is designed with sensory detectors and various methods of input for the tasks to be accomplished. In this, the person shall experience home comfort without exerting much effort.