Sign in if you're already registered.Ok, so Rosie the Robot may still be a few iterations away, but the rest of your house, from your doorbell to your toaster, is about to get much, much, smarter. The main problem with existing home automation systems is that there is no agreed-upon standard. Most every company in the market employs a proprietary command system atop either a zigbee, z-wave, or wi-fi connection, none of which can interconnect. That means unless you want to build and program your own Arduino controllers, you're going to be stuck with buying a whole bunch of disseparate, niche systems—one to your smart doorknob/deadlock, another for your home security system, another for your smart garage door, and so on. Lowes announced today that it's rolling out a new all-in-one home security and automation system, dubbed the Iris, that will be able to integrate with and control any home automation device that runs on at least one of the three industry standards. No that's not Siri backwards—well, it is, but not intentionally—it's a smart phone-controlled, home-wide C&C system.
But who's got the patience and drive space to install up to a dozen or more individual apps to control singular functions in their house? The Iris hub-based home automation system—which can command everything from your door locks and light bulbs to pet doors and thermostats—is built off the cloud-based system implemented by the UK-based Alert Me home monitoring service. Iris comes in three varieties—the Safe & Secure package, which includes a programmable door lock, a pair of motion and contact sensors, and remote keypad; the Comfort & Control system, which monitors the energy usage and state of the home's thermostat as well as individual appliances through the use of power line internet connected "smart plugs"; and the Smart Kit, which combines both kits. The S&S and C&C kits retail for $180 apiece while the full kit goes for a solid $300. Each set is built around a centra connected hub capable of managing up to a hundred individual devices. At its release, the Iris kits includes features such as programmable lights and switches, remote thermostats and tweeting doggy doors, security cameras and motion sensors.
In addition, every sensor also includes a temperature sensor to better pinpoint the origination points of domestic fires. Beyond that, ongoing monitoring service is either free for the basic level or $10 a month for the premium service. The difference between the two is that for the free service, the homeowner can only toggle the on-off state of an appliance and monitor its energy usage. Premium users can not only see if an appliance is on but also dictate its behavior (turn on at 6pm, off at 10pm, but turn on regardless if I my personal key fob comes within range).While the automation options are somewhat limited at this point, Lowes plans on rolling out a myriad of additional, user-demanded functionality within the next few months. That could include home irrigation schemes, elder care and monitoring, and reportedly even plug-n-play deployment (going camping? Unplug your home security system and bring it with you as an impromptu bear perimeter). Many of us view smart home technologies such as the Nest or the Phillips Hue, as cool, fun, and made for the “person who has everything”.
For people with severe physical disabilities such as quadriplegia, however, technologies such as these may be a necessity and the only way that they can control their environment. The majority of these new smart systems use WiFi and other wireless signals to communicate between the controlled devices (i.e. lamp), a wireless hub, and an app on a mobile device. They control everything from heating/cooling systems, TVs and the flow of water to door locks, cameras, and even the doggy door. IPAT and many other assistive technology service providers around the country are paying close attention to the development these newer mainstream environmental control systems. This is mainly because it is the first time in decades that technology of this type has become affordable and yet so available that you can get it at the store down the street. One of the things that we look for in these technologies is the accessibility within the app. Can it be used hands-free such as with voice commands or with minimal use of one’s hands such as with switch access.
We also look at the ease of the user interface, the number and types of devices the smart system can control, and how well the system can control those desired devices. This month we are looking at the Lowe’s Iris Home System specifically for people who have severe physical disabilities and who also have limited use of their hands. With the free basic service, Iris will allow you to control devices that can be turned on/off such as a fan, heater or light; unlock a door for a care provider; completely control a digital thermostat; view other parts of the home via a video camera; open/close the garage door and much more. The free service may be plenty for most people; however, to be able to use voice control and many other features you will have to upgrade to the premium service for $9.99/month. We were able to setup the device with no major issues; however, we did come across some parts of the setup that caused confusion or frustration. The interface was user-friendly, predictable, and easy to learn;
however, it was not customizable. We did have difficulty in a portion of the thermostat menu. Once in the heat/auto/cool window, there was no obvious way back out of the page without completely closing out of the app and starting over. This happened whether we used the iPhone or an iPad, but not the Android device. *Technical support has been contacted and their response will be posted here once they get back to us. We found the device to work very well with the built-in switch access with iOS 8.2 on an iPad. Please see the video for a demonstration. Note: there is no sound on this video. At around $400-500 for the large starter kit and door lock system, Iris a good low-cost option for a person with a severe physical disability to control some basic parts of their environment as opposed to more costly systems such as the Pilot Pro for $6999, which definitely does a lot more but may be overkill for some people. The one thing that I really like about this and other smart systems controlled by an app, is the fact that they are all run on a mobile device that allows you to do so much more!