Home automation has certainly come a long way in the last 5-10 years. More advanced technologies let us do so many more things. But in order to keep home automation accessible and attractive to the masses, platform providers have had to simplify things. Simplification is not necessarily a bad thing. But oversimplification has a drawback.
That drawback is limited function. The simpler a device is to install and use, the less functional it tends to be. A perfect representation of the relationship between simplification and function is the smart light bulb.
I’ve chosen the smart light bulb to illustrate my point after reading a How-To Geek post from contributor Adam Davidson. The author considers smart light bulbs his biggest home automation mistake. He is now in the process of correcting it.
How Smart Light Bulbs Work
In a strict lighting sense, smart light bulbs are like any other LED bulb. It is the actual smart components that make the difference. A smart light bulb is equipped with a radio transmitter and a microchip. The transmitter sends and receives signals from the user’s smartphone or a smart home hub. The microchip controls on/off, dimming, and color functions.
The thing that makes the smart light bulb so attractive is its simplicity. Just screw it into any standard light socket and you are in business. You can access it remotely with your smartphone. You can also program it to do any number of things. But there is a catch: the manual light switch associated with the light needs to be left on. If someone accidentally flips it off, the bulb is no longer accessible.
I Get the Appeal
I get the appeal of a simple smart light bulb. Anyone can use it without having to understand the intricacies of home automation and device programming. The consumer also doesn’t have to fool around with electrical connections, wires, etc.
The tradeoff is limited function. Again, the bulb is useless if someone flips the switch off. In addition, the chances are pretty good that programming and access will be limited to just the bulbs and their companion mobile app. Integrating them into a larger ecosystem is not going to be easy – if it’s possible at all.
Learning the Hard Stuff Is Worthwhile
I briefly entertained the thought of investing in smart light bulbs when I first decided it was time to begin my own home automation journey. Thinking about it for a couple of days led me to the conclusion that I did not want to limit myself in terms of function. So instead, I opted for smart switches integrated into a whole-home automation platform.
I could have opted for a platform like Vivint, one that includes a long list of automation and security equipment that works out-of-the-box. Instead, I chose to go with an open-source platform that would allow me to utilize multiple brands. The platform came with a learning curve, that’s for sure. But learning the hard stuff was well worth it.
Maximum Function and Freedom
Investing the time and effort in learning the hard stuff has paid off in maximum function and freedom. I learned how to install smart switches and then integrate them with voice control. I learned how to set up automation routines that can do everything from turning the lights on to adjusting the thermostat and starting the irrigation system.
The appeal of oversimplified home automation is getting access to some cool devices without having to learn anything new. But for me, the real life-altering benefits of home automation come with more complex devices requiring a bit of learning.
