Smart Home World -May 2021 | E -Magazine by Smart Home World Magazine

INDIA'S ONLY DIGITAL MAGAZINE FOR THE SMART HOME INDUSTRY.

SMARTHOME WORLD

VOL 1 • No 1 MAY 2021

www.smarthomeworld.in

28 Convenience and Customizability being the Utmost Priority!

INSIDE Special Features

NEWS

Red Dot Award 2021 Winner

Ar. Abhigyan Neogi

Dr. Aloknath De

Founder & Principal Architect at Chromed Design Studio, Delhi, explains how home automation is shaping the urban lifestyles!

Chief Technology Officer(CTO), Samsung Research India and Chair, OCF India, speaks on the growth perspective of the smart home industry in India.

Case Study

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Ongoing Trends

5 BHK Get Smarter Apartment with your MAY 2021 WORLD I 1 I SMARTHOME Mumbai. Smart Lights! 60

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Gateway Solutions for Home and Building Automation Protocol Translators Designed to control and monitor all parameters between building automation protocols

AC Interfaces Allow a complete and natural integration to monitor and control, fully bi-directional, AC units from the most popular manufacturers.

Cloud Solutions Bring all your home and building devices to the cloud and control them from anywhere

www.intesis.com

HMS Industrial Networks India Pvt. Ltd. “Corporate Plaza”, Unit 1A & 1B, Ground Floor, Senapati Bapat Road, Near Chaturshrungi Temple, Pune – 411016 (M.S.) INDIA Tel: +91 8380066578 | Email:sta@hms.se

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CONTENTS

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NEWS Latest uptates on the global smart home industry

INDUSTRY STORY

CASE STUDIES

SPECIAL FEATURES

ONGOING TRENDS

PRODUCT GALLERY

A complete overview of the custom installed smart home solutions

Smart Home Projects with detailed breakdown of the steps involved in smart installations

Conversations with eminent personalities, immensely contributing to the growth of the smart home industry in India

Articles on the latest smart home trends

A display of the most recently launched smart home devices

2 Channel Switch

Luxe Wall Intelligence

13 Amp Socket with 2.5 Amp USB

For channel partner enquiry please mail us at info@osum.in OSUM Smart Electrical Solutions LLP 1305, Lodha Supremus, Senapati Bapat Marg, Opp. Lodha World Towers, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 13 MAY 2021 I SMARTHOME WORLD I 5 Phone : 8010-600-200, Website: www.osum.in

FROM THE EDITOR

Convenience is what Smart home brings to our chaotic lives! Smart Home Expo, India’s first and only trade show focused on the Smart Home Industry, is pleased to launch, Smart Home World, India’s first b2b e-magazine that aims to bring to your knowledge, all the latest technological advancements and noteworthy national and global news related to the Smart Home industry. One of the major purposes of initiating the e-magazine is to offer the SNEHA KANRAR SOM

architects, designers, real estate developers, smart home device manufacturers, smart home integrators and other stakeholders of the industry, an all-inclusive platform that constantly informs, educates and inspires readers with content ranging from interesting news stories, a fascinating product gallery displaying recently launched smart home devices, conversations with eminent personalities to consolidated industry overviews. The first issue is emphasized on the extensive industry story of custom-installed smart home solutions in India, a concept which is gaining immense popularity due to constantly-changing lifestyles of the new generation home buyers/owners, their growing exposure to the global technological ameliorations and increasing disposable income of a certain economic strata of the society. Offering the users, a complete control over the house and a scope of customisation, smart home solutions have successfully positioned themselves as the must-have features for the new as well as existing homes of this era.

Editor: Sneha Kanrar Som sneha@smarthomeworld.in

Marketing Head: Sandeep Singh sandeep@smarthomeworld.in

Associate Editor: Adora D’mello adora@smarthomeworld.in

Assistant Manager - Sales: Monika Agnihotri monika@smarthomeworld.in

Published by: WORLD MEDIA & EXPO LLP. WORLD MEDIA & EXPO LLP

505, D-Definity, Jay Prakash Road no.1, Goregaon(East), Mumbai- 400063 | www.smarthomeworld.in

Smart Home World thanks the various companies that have submitted information. For any editorial submissions, please contact Ms. Sneha Kanrar Som, Editor, at sneha@smarthomeworld.in. The information published in News, Ongoing Trends and Product Gallery is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. It does not reflect the views of Smart Home World or of the management of WORLD MEDIA & EXPO LLP.

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Red Dot Award 2021 Winner - 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10

Amidst the thousands of participating products, the 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner won the Red Dot Annual Award. The letter from the Red Dot wrote, 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 received unanimous approval due to both it’s high quality of design and function. The judging criteria is regularly updated to meet the new technical, social, economic, and ecological requirements. 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10, swept up the competition with its extraordinary design and spectacular user experience.

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360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 features: customizable mopping zones and mopping times. Using a Nidec motor with a 3300Pa suction power, S10 can suck up dust hidden in the fibres of even the thickest rug, by automatically adjusting its suction strength. Hidden sensor design with an ultra-slim body Being around 8.5cm (3.3 inches) high with a sensor built to be out of sight, it easily gets under shoe cases/ shelves and sofas. The S10 gives its owner spot & edge cleaning while protecting all furniture legs. Easily control with mobile App

Triple-eye LiDARs with accurate 3D mapping and efficient obstacle avoidance. No longer the humble vacuum cleaner, the 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 uses triple-eye LiDARs (LDS and OLS LiDAR), with dToF scanning and 5.0 autopilot technology, which give it a full 360-degree view of a room, create a precise mapping, and bring obstacle avoidance performance to the next level - even the tiny obstacles as slim as 0.4 inches.Possessing a total of 3 lasers, each with its unique function. The main laser detects the objects at a distance of around 8 meters ahead. A front laser sizes up objects in its path, made smart enough to know

whether it should navigate away or rollover or hoover the object. The 3rd wall laser measures heights above and around it, detecting when it can squeeze past or under obstacles. These lasers can gauge over 100 kinds of obstacles, and one can rest assured that the S10 won’t sweep over any pet accidents. Double-capacity water tank and super-strong suction Equipped with a large water tank, double in capacity when compared with other robot vacuums. The S10 covers a large surface area up to 2153ft² in one effortless lap. Also giving the user completely

The 360 Robot OS technology, ensures users control over S10 via a mobile app. Set up is made easy by the deep cleaning mode for any overused filthy area. Simply check a cleaning route and mode, then schedule a plan based on a daily routine. An efficient cleaning system is now at consumer’s fingertips. The 360 Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 has been officially launched on Indiegogo, made available for users around the globe at an early bird special price. According to Jason Wong, the chief product design director of 360, winning the Red Dot award is an excellent approval for them. 360 Smart Life will continue to design innovative smart home devices, to let more households join in the fun of smart home living.

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CES 2022 to be held in person in Las Vegas

Heading back to its original venue in Las Vegas,CES 2022 (Consumer Electronics Show) will be held as an in-person event in January 2022. Taking place from January 5 to January 8, with media days taking place between January 3 to January 4. Back when the Covid crisis started in late 2019 and became a pandemic in 2020, CES 2020 was the last major tech event that took place in person. Subsequent events including MWC 2020 (Mobile World Congress) had to be either cancelled or held virtually. However, with CES 2022 heading back to Las Vegas, companies and consumers alike will be able to make the most of the event. About 1,000 companies including Amazon, AMD, AT&T, Daimler AG, Dell, Google, Hyundai, IBM, Intel, Lenovo, LG, Panasonic, Qualcomm, Samsung and Sony, suggests a report by Cnet. “We’re thrilled to return to Las Vegas — home to CES for more than 40 years — and look forward to seeing many new and returning faces,” Gary Shapiro, the association’s president and CEO, said in a release. “Hundreds of executives have told us how much they need CES to meet new and existing customers, find partners, reach media and discover innovation.”

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CES 2022 Welcomes Digital Attendance CES 2022 attendees will also be able to part take in the event digitally. More concrete plans around the event will depend on Coronavirus-related safety measures from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

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All-new Amazon Fire TV Cube got launched in India It is now possible to control the entire entertainment system comprising TV, set-top-box, A/V receivers and smart home devices using voice commands through Amazon Fire TV Cube, recently launched in India at Rs 12,999. The all-new device features built-in farfield voice control and merges the abilities of Amazon’s best-selling line of Fire TV streaming media players with Alexa. It is the fastest and most powerful Fire TV device that has been designed after reviewing a plethora of customer feedback on a desirable voice-enabled living room device. The far-field voice technology of Echo devices is merged with the user experience of Fire TV to make it easy for users to control their entertainment setup with the help of Alexa. It offers an excellent picture quality and enticing

sound experience while providing a theatre-like experience at home. Fire TV Cube offers access to ten thousand channels, apps and Alexa skills. It is geared with an ultrapowerful Hexa-core processor and hence delivers a swift experience with instant access to Dolby Vision and 4K Ultra HD content at up to 60 frames per second. The device brings to you the brilliant colour of Dolby Vision and HDR, HDR 10+ along with the audio clarity of Dolby Atmos. With eight microphones and advanced beamforming technology, it combines signals from the respective microphones to censor noise, repercussion and even competing speech to make sure Alexa hears the command clearly and acts accordingly even when placed next to a TV.

Chromecast with Google TV update introduces advanced video controls Google’s previous update for the Chromecast with Google TV fixed the annoying recovery screen error. In some cases, this would require a reset of the device, with the bug firmly in the past, a new update mainly focuses on improving the device and delivering some new functionality. The update, version QTS1.210311.005, is still based on Android 10 (via 9to5Google) and includes the April security patch. It introduces the new Advanced Video Controls settings. This enables users to control HDR formats, resolution/refresh rate, and color formats. Another notable update is that HDMI-CEC can now finally be configured to turn on/off only the TV.

Google is also introducing some connectivity enhancements with the new update. The device claims to work better with 5GHz and mesh networks and audio stutters over Bluetooth should also be minimal. Lastly, there are HDMI hotplug improvements, that help the Chromecast with Google TV detect the best display settings available. The new update is already being rolled out and users will receive it soon. Simply check for it by tapping on one’s profile picture and heading to Settings > System > About > System update.

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VINSHEK launches EAE Technology in India

EAE Group has over 30 patents, 300 brands, and 100 industrial designs Technology products comply with international open standards such as

KNX, DALI, TCP/IP, and Wi-Fi. EAE Technology provides innovative and value-added solutions for KNX applications. EAE technology is the

Congratulations to VINSHEK on attaining exclusive distribution rights bringing EAE Technology to India. Over the last decade, VINSHEK has successfully engaged in distributing select international brands of great repute. Brand selection for VINSHEK is based on its vision to represent brands offering technological product lines with great potential for innovation coupled with market acceptance and a proven track record. most Comprehensive KNX offering in the market today with wide solutions for residential, Commercial & Hospitality markets.

Leica collaborates with JMGO to produce Home Theatre Projector Leica has collaborated with a Chinabased company, JMGO, to produce a home theatre projector called O1 Pro. The partnership between the two companies was confirmed in 2020. O1 Pro is their first product together. An ultra-short-throw projector that can sit on a table below the projection surface. One benefit is that they can be placed at any height or angle. With the ability to project a 100-inch screen from just 8.2 inches away, both with 4K compatibility and 1920 x 1080p resolution. JMGO was launched in 2011 and is known for manufacturing projectors of all kinds - theatre projectors, portable, and laser projectors. “Home cinema entertainment is an 12

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exciting market and projection is not an unknown environment for Leica,” said Leica CEO, Matthias Harsch. “We bring to the collaboration not only our expertise in optics and quality but also many years of experience in the development of projectors. With JMGO, we have the ideal and strong partner at our side to develop this new business area successfully. We are looking forward to the joint development of high-quality and high-performance products that will offer customers professional imaging quality in their own homes.” “Image quality regarding contrastenhancing, colour gamut, stray light reduction, dynamic range, sharpness, and noise reduction have all been refined. During production, rigid Leica standards

are implemented to guarantee uncompromising high quality of the series products,” Leica notes in a press release. Leica is a globally-known camera brand. JMGO, in partnership with Leica, has opportunities to expand into international markets.

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Latest Software launched by Savant DaVinci 9.4 is here! This software features a more intuitive and personalized Savant Music experience, along with the integration of Spotify Connect and other popular music services like Deezer. 9.4. The update also included Ring X integration, along with an improved Savant Security experience. Savant MUSIC With a whole new look and feel, the savant music experience now offers a personalized dashboard, plus the ability to search and create playlists across multiple music services. The new savant music experience will get everyone dancing, check out playlists on Spotify or Deezer. A personalized music dashboard, allows users to save playlists & favourites. As well as other preferred streaming services for a quick recall. Presenting with a Spotify connect option, and bring the best of the music experience together with Savant music and Spotify connect. Setting default rooms, searching, and creating playlists, all made easy with Savant as an endpoint. Another amazing feature for users to enjoy is the addition of a personalized playlist to any Savant Scene. Creating a soundtrack to match any moment, resulting in perfect harmony with the rest of the smart home experience. SAVANT SECURITY The new face of smart security, Savant Security service offers features like remote monitoring and security notifications, all in an elegant and intuitive new interface. The clean, modern security interface is designed to match the function of any user’s natively installed security

system. Users can monitor alerts or send commands quickly and easily right from the main screen, with an option of adding camera feeds or personalized notifications. Customize one’s notifications and keep tabs on the property 24/7, with Savant’s advanced notification system. The updated Savant Security service supports integration with professional X-line products from Ring, expanding the possibilities of any Savant Home with enhanced security and convenience. The latest Savant security interface is intuitive and flexible, with options like configurable notifications,

embedded Ring video & entry call access. Delivering a security experience that’s suited for each user in the home. The supported products from Ring X are built with quality components and a sleek modern look. Savant was founded in 2005,aiming to provide the best experience in home automation. With products that are inventive, easy to use, and future-friendly, so consumers will enjoy them for years to come. As one of the first home automation companies to embrace mobile technology, and open up new possibilities for control. Savant is committed to enhance the customer experience for the home and beyond. MAY 2021

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Legrand India launches Myrius Next Gen Steps into a new range of wiring device with the focus on designeering & technology

Legrand India, a global leader in electrical and digital building infrastructure today launched its new range of wiring device ‘Myrius Next Gen’, the premium product assortment. Myrius Next Gen is expected to build a value and strengthen Legrand’s presence in the premium segment with its modern technology. The product range is targeted at the residential and commercial segment with also a focus on architects , builders, electricians, consultants, contractors, developers, system integrators and retailers. This collection is very unique as the Legrand team has developed specially curated Motif collection plates inspired by our Indian culture and heritage. One of the examples; Dark Fade plates are inspired by the 14

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dense, impenetrable jungles of South West India cocoons the mysterious spicery of pepper. Taking after the sprawling pepper plantations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Dark Fade adds zing to any mundane interior. IMD technology has been used here, which is a breakthrough as it’s the first in this category. With this technology it adds to the finesse and durability of the products and also goes with the latest style of home décor. This new range of products have been developed using the intelligence of IoT which includes wireless technology, controlling it remotely (even when away from home), voice control, app control, can monitor electricity usage & get alerts. With this the brand promises its customers

savings, safety, convenience, and control, additionally, for comfort and peace of mind. Legrand’s IoT enabled Home/ Away Wireless Master Switch lets its users switch on or off multiple things like all lights, shutters or sockets by just pressing one switch at home or by tapping the app on your phone, even when you are not home. All the products in this range are designed in such a way that it is retrofittable, now the customers don’t need to worry about changing the electrical infrastructure. Mr. Tony Berland, CEO & Managing Director, Legrand India said, “Due to the pandemic, 2020 was a difficult year for the entire world and Indian electrical brands were no different. But despite such tough conditions we decided

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to launch a whole new range of wiring device which focuses on designeering & technology for our customers. New products development has been an integral part of our growth engine & we plan to stick to that philosophy. We are extremely proud to add a new range to our premium product assortment with the new brand – Myrius Next Gen.” Mr. Sameer Saxena, DirectorMarketing, Legrand India said, “Legrand strongly believes that customers are at the heart of the Innovation. Keeping in mind that customers are our priority we

decided to launch Myrius Next Gen. Feedback from our customers helped us a lot to anticipate the trends and their future expectation. The idea behind this range of products was to assure comfort to our customers with the latest IOT technology. To ensure that all our customers have unique experience and choices, we specially designed our motif collection truly inspired by our Indian heritage and rich culture.” The brand has been conceptualised and inspired by its customers health and hygiene being a priority, especially during the times of COVID. Powered by the silver ion’s,

Legrand has created anti-bacterial feature which inhibits the growth of bacteria on frequently touched switches and plates. Legrand is world’s leading electrical and digital building solution provider company with global turnover of 5.5 billion Euros. The company enjoys leadership in premium wiring devices as well as MCB in the Indian market. Its products are widely used in residential, commercial, industrial and hospitality industry. Legrand India takes a further leap with its Smart connected Home offerings. Through its entry in the IoT space it takes a further leap from the brand in its Smart Connected

LG proves triumphant with 31 Red Dot Design Awards.

With each passing year, there is always that one brand, coming up with alluring and creative solutions which win over the Red Dot Jury. Awards are bestowed based on

design quality and decisive brand management. As it has done in the past, the South Korean global player LG Electronics knocks out competitors, winning not one but

several Red Dot Design Awards. When introduced at the CES 2021, LG’s five designer appliances, which included LG InstaView® Door-in-

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Door® refrigerator, LG Fridge and Freezer pair, LG CordZero stick vacuum, LG Air conditioner, and LG Styler-Steam Clothing Care, each of which was honoured with individual awards Recognized for its strength in industrial & consumer design, LG stacked up an impressive 31 product design accolades at the Red Dot Awards this year. Earning it one of the design industry’s topmost honours. LG Designer Appliances won in the Materials & Surfaces category for the implementation of the color, material, and finish (CMF). Materials such as stainless steel, glass, metal, and FENIX (advanced coating technology developed by Arpa Industriale) are used to further illuminate the refinement of each product.Other awards included recognition for the LG WashTower™, with exceptional design. It is a single-unit, vertical laundry solution that takes up less floor space but handles ultralarge loads. Being one of the three most prestigious professional design competitions

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worldwide, the Red Dot Design Award is a distinctive mark and has become one of the most sought-after seals of quality for exceptional design internationally. With this year’s jury having over 7,800 products for consideration.”As a brand that strives to deliver quality products with exceptional design, it is always a great honor to receive recognition from Red Dot,” Lee Chul-bae, head of LG Electronics’ Corporate Design Management Center. “LG is devoted to meeting consumers’ desire to enhance the quality of space with high-quality products that also look good and we will continue to pursue innovative designs that deliver on these expectations.” LG Electronics is a global innovator in technology and consumer electronics with an international presence. LG is a leading manufacturer of consumer and commercial products ranging from TVs, home appliances, air solutions, mobile devices, monitors, service robots, automotive components, and its premium LG SIGNATURE and intelligent LG ThinQ brands are familiar names the world over.

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LG’S 2021 Range of Soundbars with Meridian Horizon Technology

SP9YA, SP8YA, SP7Y & SPD7Y – feature Meridian Horizon, an upmixing technology that provides immersive multichannel audio from two-channel stereo content, regardless of listening position or location in the room. This improves the soundstage of the whole performance, increasing the “sweetspot” area and stability of the centre image and delivers an overall sense of immersion for every listener.

A key player in home cinema, LG ‘s OLED TVs being among the best in the market. Now LG presents another key feature in home entertainment. With considerable efforts put in the realm of elite-level soundbars and honing into its new 2021 range. Aiming for its new Soundbar Range to deliver a premium audio experience, with easy connectivity, smart functionality, and stylish aesthetics to complement its TV range. Meridian engineers worked closely with the LG team to

ensure the implementation of the British audio pioneer’s proprietary technologies and bespoke tuning deliver unrivalled sound quality in their product class. Meridian Audio’s long-term relationship with LG Electronics continues to go from strength to strength as showcased by the launch of the 2021 LG soundbar line-up, which features Meridian Horizon technology. All models within this new LG range – SP11RA,

Meridian’s focus on innovation, combined with the UK company’s suite of audio technologies and expertise in Digital Signal Processing (DSP), has helped enhance the audio performance of LG’s soundbars, as well as many of their speakers, earphones, and smartphones, since 2018. Meridian continues to invest in research programs and in the development of new technologies enabling it to provide companies such as LG with audio systems that push boundaries and deliver a premium audio experience to even more customers around the world.

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Linksys Launches New 6E Solutions - Linksys Hydra Pro 6E & Linksys Atlas Max 6E

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A global leader in home and business Wi-Fi solutions, Linksys -Los Angeles announced the availability of the market’s first Wi-Fi 6E certified systems; the Linksys Hydra Pro 6E & award-winning Linksys Atlas Max 6E. Built with Velop Intelligent Mesh and utilizing the 6GHz band, the Linksys Hydra Pro and Linksys Atlas Max expand the user’s network for the fastest speeds possible to every nook of the house. WI-Fi 6E offers a 6GHz band connection, made compulsory for any device-heavy homes. Ensuring optimal performance for video conferencing, working, and e-learning from home, along with compatibility of the latest AR and VR devices.

Linksys Hydra Pro 6E The Linksys Hydra Pro 6E tri-band router unleashes multi-gigabit Wi-Fi speeds at up to 6.6Gbps (AXE6600) to cover 2,700 square feet and more than 55 devices at one time. A combination of the built-in mesh technology and industry-leading chipset from Qualcomm. Designed for wire-like stability and fast performance, for a full house of users each enjoying their forms of home entertainment like pro gaming or HD streaming. Other key features include: •

A 5Gbps WAN port for multi-gigabit speeds.

• Easy setup through the free Linksys app. •

Automatic updates and compatibility with existing modem and internet provider

•

Guest Access ensures your network is secure, up-to-date, and safe from cyber threats.

Linksys Atlas Max 6E Originally called the Linksys AXE8400 Wi-Fi 6E System, this is newly dubbed as Linksys Atlas Max 6E, and is now available for purchase. Powered by the Qualcomm® Networking Pro™ 1210 Platform, the Linksys Atlas Max 6E tri-band system unleashes the biggest upgrade to Wi-Fi in a decade for transcendent performance across hundreds of devices.

The system supports bandwidth-heavy homes and leverages the 6GHz band for backhaul between nodes so that all devices – 6E or not – benefit from the system. The first fully certified Wi-Fi 6E solution, by the Wi-Fi Alliance. Meeting the highest standards of security and safety. Guarantees consumer peace of mind when using any device on the network. It is also the first Wi-Fi 6E system with mesh built-in, no extra updates or additional hardware necessary. Other key features include; •

Mesh capabilities for growing Wi-Fi needs.

•

1-pack, 2-pack, or 3-pack options.

•

A 5Gbps WAN port for multi-gigabit wireless speeds.

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Four Gigabit LAN ports

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One USB 3.0 port for multiple hardwire or USB connections,

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Easy app-based setup & seamless compatibility with existing modem and internet provider.

“Wi-Fi 6E is driving a surge in technology innovation and we’re proud to deliver nextlevel solutions that harness 6E speeds and efficiency, coupled with built-in Velop Intelligent Mesh,” says Harry Dewhirst, vice president of business development, Linksys. “As the market’s first Wi-Fi 6E system certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance, we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide our customers reliable, innovative, and secure Wi-Fi solutions.” Since 1988, Linksys has been on a mission to connect the world and build the world’s most reliable and innovative wireless technology. Linksys was the first router brand to ship 100 million units worldwide. Recognized for its legacy in mesh hardware and award-winning Velop motion-sensing software portfolio, Linksys connects your smart home or business with enhanced security and seamless, frustration-free WiFi. Linksys products are sold in more than 60 countries around the world.

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World’s Largest Smart Glass Installation Project - by SageGlass

SageGlass, the global leader, has stepped up to the challenge. Successfully presenting Electrochromic Glass- an innovation that alters the way glass is perceived and used in any design.Chosen by Bagmane Group, one of India’s largest build-to-suit real estate

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developers, SageGlass is to create the world’s largest smart glass installation. This 1.6 million square foot office development, Rio Business Park, based in Bangalore, India, will use 200,000 sq. ft. of SageGlass Harmony-Electrochromic Glass, along with software & controls.

Electrochromic Glass is shaping offices of the future. Referred to as smart glass or dynamic glass ,it uses advanced intelligence to automatically add tinting as the day progresses. Also reducing glare & regulating temperatures while letting in natural light. This glazed

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technology is designed to offer, an energy-saving solution as well as a luxurious workplace experience. A survey was conducted of French tech employees, in an office equipped with SageGlass. The majority of those polled claimed that dynamic glass had a positive effect on their wellbeing while at work. “We strive to create premiere workplace experiences for our world-class customers,” said Aditya Bagmane, director at Bagmane Group. “For this office development, we are working with a tech customer who expects the best. We chose SageGlass for this innovative building because of their superior smart glass offering, ability to invest in cutting-edge technology and Saint-Gobain’s presence in India.” “As employee wellness and sustainability become higher priorities for savvy building owners, SageGlass is in a unique position to deliver both,” said Namrata Vora, SageGlass VP of Sales, North America, and India/Asia Pacific. “We are so pleased to partner with Bagmane Group to create a healthy, sustainable workplace for their tenants at Rio Business Park. And this project will benefit from some of our latest innovations, including SageGlass Harmony — the first electrochromic glass to tint on a

gradient — along with transparent OLED displays, and Saint-Gobain’s MC350, a device to measure Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) factors.” The SageGlass India team intends to work with Glazier Glass Wall Systems, for installations. They will be commissioning more than 12,000 smart glass panels for the Rio Business Park project. With the project, already underway, Google intends to be the primary tenant in August 2022.

and distributes materials and solutions for the construction, mobility, healthcare, and other industrial application markets. The strategy of responsible growth is guided by the Saint-Gobain purpose, “Making the World a Better Home,” which is in response to the shared ambition to act every day to make the world a more beautiful and sustainable place to live.

About Bagmane Group About SageGlass SageGlass is the global leader in electrochromic glass and is transforming the human experience in the built environment. With this smart technology, dynamic glass tints and automatically clears to optimize daylight and regulate temperatures, while maintaining unobstructed views of the outdoors. Architects choose SageGlass to solve solar control challenges elegantly without sacrificing aesthetics. And SageGlass can help building owners use less energy and achieve sustainability and wellness certifications.

About Saint-Gobain Saint-Gobain designs manufactures

For Sales Enquiries : Abhishek Jaiswak | E-mail : jaiswal_abhishek@asus.com

Founded in 1996, Bagmane Group is the Bangalore-based developer of prestigious business parks in India. Bagmane business parks have the reputation of being of the highest quality and offering myriad advantages — including campusstyle developments, contemporary design, futuristic materials, and a wide range of on-campus amenities and facilities.

About Glass Wall Systems Glass Wall Systems Pvt Ltd is India’s leading facade fabricator. Provide turnkey architectural facade solutions-- translating the vision of the client into reality. Offering a full range of glazing systems and custom-designed architectural metal works.

Hrushikesh | E-mail : hrushikeshi@rptechindia.com | Mob.: 9967600064

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AI-powered washing machines now in India One of India’s trusted consumer electronics brand, Samsung has launched a smart home appliance designed for the Indian home. Introducing the first artificial intelligence-enabled and bi-lingual washing machine. With a Hindi & English user interface, these fully automatic front load washing machines are a part of Samsung’s vision of Powering Digital India. Along with Samsung’s proprietary EcoBubble™ and QuickDrive™ technology that aids in saving time and power. The latest washing machine lineup has 21 new models. While the AI understands and memorizes the user’s laundry habits, suggesting often used as well as fabric related wash cycles. These washing machines can easily be linked to Samsung smart devices such as Galaxy smartphones, Samsung Smart TVs, and Family Hub refrigerators as well as voice devices such as Alexa and Google Home, providing consumers with a connected living experience. All new models have Hygiene Steam technology capable of removing ingrained dirt, 99.9% of bacteria & allergens. Offering a design that is minimal with an extremely user-friendly sleek digital interface & dial control.

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“Consumer convenience has become the topmost priority during the pandemic and smart home appliances that simplify lives resonate with them,” said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India. “Our new AI-enabled washing machine line-up is a breakthrough innovation with Hindi and English user interface and is designed to offer simple, intelligent, and personalized laundry solutions to consumers using machine learning. It has been customized for India with over 2,000 wash combinations and 2.8 million big data analysis points for different types of fabrics and can be controlled with a smartphone or a Samsung connected device”, said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India. “This line-up will revolutionize the fully automatic front load washing machine segment that has seen the strongest adoption in the last year, and we are confident of becoming the No. 1 player in this segment this year.”

NEWS

Samsung working on web dashboard for SmartThings

One of the oldest smart-home platforms, Samsung is building a way to access SmartThings. SmartThings is currently only accessible through the Android and iOS mobile apps. The company started developing a web panel for SmartThings in May 2019, though the closed alpha was shut down in October of that same year while Samsung prepared “for a much larger test leading to a full release.” According to later forum posts from a SmartThings developer, the web app was still in development, but the project was “running into shifting requirements from legal and security teams”. The panel appears to have

gone live for anyone with a Samsung account earlier this week, accessible from my.smartthings.com.Though the developer noted that it’s still not finished and no official support is available, the report said. SmartThings was originally founded in 2012 before being acquired by Samsung in 2014. It can connect to other platforms, just like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Samsung previously offered a Windows application for managing SmartThings but was deprecated in 2019. The company is now working on an updated desktop application, primarily designed for its new Galaxy Book Pro laptops.

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NEWS

Red Dot Awards For Outstanding Product Design, bestowed on the Breeva Air Purifiers - A2 & A5, introduced by TCL Receiving two Red Dot Awards this year(on April 21, 2021), stands the world’s best-selling consumer electronics brand. Being awarded for exceptional product design, are the two air purifiers of the Breeeva series from TCL®. Showcasing TCL’s commitment to developing smart technology with innovative features. And improving every aspect of life, meeting the customers’ need for refreshing air and a clean living environment. Inspired by chess pieces and modern pop furniture, TCL presented, the Breeva A2 and the Breeva A5. With their clean lines and distinctive features, these air purifiers are truly award-winning works of art. Each of these products has geometric elements of hemispheres and cylinders creating their sculptural appearance. Design inspiration is drawn from the time-honoured game of Chess, specifically relating to the Chessmen. The Rook piece influenced the compactness of the Breeva A2, while the Queen Piece’s beauty is expressed through the Breeva A5.Users are now able to track their air quality in real-time, with the TCL app. Both Air Purifiers are highly efficient and make for tasteful additions to any modern home. “TCL is honoured to receive these two Red Dot Awards. We are leveraging our strong capabilities in product design and technology to offer consumers an ever-increasing 24

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range of smart products and superior experiences to enhance and improve life,” said Kevin Wang, CEO of TCL Industries Holdings Co., Ltd. and TCL Electronics. Holding to Red Dot’s maxim “Winning is the Beginning”, TCL aims to further enchant consumers. By presenting the market with more smart home appliances and expanding into a new avenue, while continuing heavy investment in research and development.

With a line-up of award-winning televisions, audio products, mobile devices, and appliances, TCL empowers customers to enjoy more. Taking pride in delivering meaningful experiences by combining thoughtful design and the latest technology. As one of the world’s largest consumer electronics brands, with extensive manufacturing expertise, a vertically integrated supply chain, & state-ofthe-art factories, TCL truly delivers innovation for all.

NEWS

Fully integrated smart home automation solutions launched by Torry Harris.

According to a 2018 study by Parks Associates, 75 percent of consumers who planned to buy a new smart home device said it was essential that their new device be interoperable with their existing devices. With consumers buying from various brand ecosystems, the demand for product interoperability carries significant importance. The rapid increase in consumer adoption of smart home products is further driving expectations that these devices work together seamlessly. The creation of a software-based framework for integration presented a challenge. While a typical smart home will house various devices from multiple brands. Each having its own specific apps for controlling the respective device. Filling this gap in the market, called for an app that offers universal smart controls, it would have a radical effect on how consumers invest in smart home devices.

user to monitor and manage all IoT devices. Allowing smart devices to communicate and exchange data while being governed by third-party software. The end-users are provided with a simple and consistent interface through which multiple smart devices can be operated.

Smart Home Management System

In Bangalore, India, and Bristol, England, on April 16, 2021, Torry Harris Integration Solutions (THIS), launched its smart home management-in-a-box solution, IoT Glue®. Offering a reasonably priced redistribution license model so customers can package it as their own branded solution. While also bringing DigitMarket™ to the table, a digital marketplace and framework, to assemblage support for a smart home ecosystem.This is a mobileenabled IoT integration platform, it lets enterprises mold IoT investments by binding disparate items. Building an ecosystem of vendors in the smart home industry is now possible using IoT Glue®.

A consumer-focused device management platform, enabling its

With maximum value provided to the customer, this ecosystem will ensure

an integrated end-user experience, while maximizing the adoption of the respective enterprise’s brand. “Smart home trends are headed strongly in the direction of multitasking home automation systems with a single point of control.” says Shuba Sridhar, Vice President - Strategic Initiatives at Torry Harris.”This is where Torry Harris’ specialization in integration solutions and its product IoT Glue® can help. IoT Glue® provides an API Gateway to integrate devices from multiple manufacturers. You can add new smart devices to IoT Glue® based on their published APIs. Because of its API-first approach, IoT Glue® has excellent potential to integrate with all smart home devices”. Torry Harris is a multinational provider of business, technology, and IT consulting services. For over two decades, it is focused on providing solutions in the areas of Integration for digital enablement, digital marketplace services, full life-cycle API management, IoT, and digital ecosystem enablement. MAY 2021

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NEWS

Tridonic presents, New Wireless Emergency Lighting system.

Tridonic presents an efficient solution, its new Wireless Emergency Lighting system. A combination of proven Tridonic technologies, BasicDIM Wireless & SceneCOM, suitable for both renovations and new installations. A power outage comes at great risk, of high economic damage as well as workplace accidents. This imposes strict regulations for installing and testing emergency luminaries. Regular checks by trained professionals and documentation of test logs and maintenance works are deemed important. With increasing awareness of Building Safety, more countries are opting, for central monitoring and automated testing of single battery-powered systems. Many emergency lighting operators are coping with the need for a central test facility, involving intensive planning and high costs. The centralized monitoring of existing systems can only be done by 26

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installing additional wiring, proving to be a time-consuming and labourintensive operation. Tridonic’s new wireless emergency lighting system can be integrated into existing installations and conforms to the relevant standards. They are cost-saving requiring less time for planning and commissioning, and material costs are also reduced. For its new emergency lighting system, Tridonic combines its userfriendly Casambi-ready basicDIM Wireless control technology with sceneCOM DALI-based lighting control. The proven basicDIM system is used as the backbone of the new solution, providing wireless connectivity for the emergency luminaires via a fail-safe mesh network. The luminaires are set up via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Tridonic offers the compact BasicDIM wireless G2 module, to tackle the upgrade of existing installations.

DALI emergency luminaires with a PRO emergency lighting unit can be easily integrated into the wireless network. Connecting all the wireless emergency luminaires, via a gateway to a SceneCOM Evo controller. The controller acting as a “brain” and takes command of the entire lighting solution, allowing full automatization or as per the user’s requirements. The control logic enables the controller to automatically test the individual luminaires integrated into the network and display the system status in real-time. All tests and system data can be accessed via Ethernet from any web browser. Each SceneCOM Evo controller connects up to 192 luminaires. In installations without central monitoring, qualified personnel must manually operate and check each emergency luminaire in the building. With the Tridonic solution, luminaires are now centrally monitored and automatically tested.

NEWS

External access is on a PC, notebook, tablet, or another internet-enabled device. A Dashboard provides all the information at a glance. Users can avail of detailed information and test results of each luminaire in the network, including the condition of the batteries, the status of the LEDs, and other associated electronic devices. The system also creates a standardcompliant log book with relevant information for downloading as a PDF or XML file format. Any fault occurring in the lighting system is visible on the dashboard. An additional software package can send emails to inform the asset manager about faults and errors of the lighting system. Tridonic provides building operators and electrical engineers with a simple solution that automatically checks the installation at the prescribed intervals and records the condition of each individual luminaire in the wireless network in real-time. The new Em-LINK v2 server application from Tridonic, allows these features to be available for large installations with multiple sceneCOM Evo controllers. For example, all the buildings on a large campus or retail outlets at different locations. The Em-LINK v2 server connects up to 200 SceneCOM Evo controllers, i.e. 38,400 individual luminaires. Tridonic’s web application makes it easy to select the separate

installations and check their status. Building managers are spared unnecessary travel to the various buildings or branches. They can monitor the lighting systems digitally and are required on-site, only during a malfunction or for replacing individual system components. Tridonic’s wireless emergency lighting system features: • No additional cabling is needed, once an appropriate power supply is available, installation is easily done. With simple cable routing, material and time are reduced. The wireless system saves time for the electricians responsible for maintaining the installations. • The Tridonic system complies with all current standards relevant to emergency lighting – even retrofitting in existing buildings. • Central automatic testing of separate installations and direct access to the system data reduces the workload enormously. • Less time is required to test the individual emergency luminaires and less time is spent traveling from one installation to another. • The web application aids in the luminaires, being easily assigned and named respectively to each room during or after commissioning.

• Manufacturers can easily convert standard emergency luminaires equipped with a PRO emergency lighting unit into wireless emergency luminaires with, Tridonic basicDIM Wireless G2 module. • As a space-saving wireless unit, the Casambi-ready module is ideal for installation in the luminaire. It has an integrated DALI supply, making firmware updates available wirelessly on any Android or iOS device. • Components of the wireless emergency lighting system are BSI KitemarkTM certified and comply with all standards and regulations relevant to emergency lighting. Tridonic is the technology company of the Zumtobel Group and is headquartered in Dornbirn, Austria. To promote its vision of the “Internet of Light”, Tridonic relies on partnerships with other specialists. The goal is the joint development of innovative technological solutions that convert lighting systems into intelligent networks and thereby enable associated services. Its profound, technical industry expertise makes Tridonic an ideal partner for established brands and newcomers to the market.

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INDUSTRY STORY

Custom Installed Smart Home Solutions: Defining the epitome of

“Luxury and Convenience” Leaving behind the era, where home automation used to be reserved only for the affluent class, we have stepped into a generation where smart home installations are affordable and easily accessible even by the middle-class. People these days get a choice of customisation as per their requirements. From basic button-press technology for opening doors or performing similar activities to securing homes and remotely observing and controlling a space, the home automation industry has come a long way in terms of innovation. The energy-efficiency feature of home automation is the cherry on top.

“Automation reduces surface interaction through digital interfaces and voice commands, which will only increase the value of automated services in the post-COVID-world. From closing your blinds to adding security to your home, automation sets you apart by increasing efficiency and enhancing the experience of your space. While there are other benefits to automation, there would be energy conservation, too, as automation can sense the presence and absence of a person in the room”, says Alok Hada, Managing Director, Anusha Technovision Pvt.Ltd.

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INDUSTRY STORY Completed Project by Anusha Technovisions

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INDUSTRY STORY

Global market Scenario Research says that the Smart Home Industry was valued at USD 79.13 billion in 2020 and was expected to reach USD 313. 95 billion by 2026, witnessing a growth at a CAGR of 25.3% over the forecast period.

“The smart home industry is one of the fastest-growing industry in the world. With growing awareness about the benefits of the smart home and especially the security features the requirements are ever-growing”, says Ashish Tijare , CEO, Intelligible Tech solutions Pvt Ltd.

The growing need to counter the rising security issues worldwide, is expected to accelerate the demand for smart homes in the near future. With the introduction of wireless technology comprising HVAC controller, security and access regulators and entertainment controls, a steep market growth seems to be inevitable. Also, the recent progression of Internet of Things (IoT) has led to price drops of sensors. As a result, the processors are expected to motivate manufactures to bolster automation in the residential sector. Today, customers are opting for custom installed smart home solutions as smart energy management solutions are simplifying their lives by offering greater convenience and energy efficiency. The Indian custom installed smart home segment is witnessing a high demand due to the increasing number of cognitive systems, rapid adoption of AI embedded devices and rising need for advanced security devices. The growing necessity of reducing energy consumption in India is vigorously pushing forward the adoption of smart meters that is constantly fuelling the home automation market in the country. In India, many new-age home owners/ buyers are keen on adding automated elements to their existing/new properties. Simultaneously, numerous real estate companies are integrating smart home devices, often involving an integrator, in the newly constructed apartments to offer a complete smart home solution to the “GenX”. “Automation is being immensely used across

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industries. The corporate sector, hospitality sector and residential sector will demand automation for various reasons. The need for comfort and ambience increases the demand for smart solutions in residential and hospitality, the requirement of energy efficiency would drive the Corporate sector. In the residential sector, there seems to be an increasing demand for smart home solutions, perhaps because people are spending more time in their homes on account of the pandemic. There might be a short term dip in the demand in the hospitality sector because of the budget cuts in the immediate context, but in the long run it would even out”, says Alok.

System Integrators’ contribution in the home automation sector Though certain global ambiguities and low external demand has slowed down India’s economy to an extent, the domestic demand remains steady. The need to save energy and the increasing disposable income of the middle class is forming a solid foundation for a long-term growth of the home automation sector. Architects and interior designers often collaborate with system integrators to fulfil the client’s desire for a beautifully decorated smart home. In this scenario, the designers take care of the aesthetic part and the system integrators incorporate automation, both aiming to offer desired luxury and

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INDUSTRY STORY

convenience to the client. For example, when the designers/architects decorates a wall with textures or wallpapers, the SIs wrack their brains about how to integrate sub woofers behind the walls to impart a wire-free decluttered look. A customised smart home solution can comprise a huge list of automations ranging from drawing curtains with your voice commands, ability to dim/brighten the ambience lights by voice commands or by using customisable keypads to enjoy music even while taking shower through speakers and subwoofers embedded in the ceiling of the bathroom. Smart home integrators, like architects, liaise with interior designers, M&E consultants, home owners and electricians throughout the course of a project to ensure the entire family a user-friendly and convenient smart home system. With an ability to manage the complex technological part of the design, a smart home integrator has a critical eye for design and aesthetics. Custom installed smart home solutions primarily involves wiring, hardware installations and often tends to alter the decor of the house for certain visual or acoustic reasons.

“The Automation solutions for the retrofit environment are expensive. The economical solutions are not reliable so far. The custom market is all set to grow and is already bullish. The challenge is from the consumergrade entertainment devices which are low cost, low performing and difficult to be controlled. From Blu Ray players the market is moving rapidly to solutions like Fire sticks which have closed ecosystems. All major content players are making similarly closed ecosystems which do not give a levy to the custom players”, says Ashish. On the other hand, customised smart home solutions have always been a part of the flamboyant homes of the ultra-rich, for decades. As the requirement of smart home integrators had always been restricted to a

“A home is a very complex place with electricals running the backbone of the home and electronics running everything else. This is where the role of an efficient system integrator comes into play. Because it requires complex integration of different functions & appliances in a home, which can again be achieved via different technologies ranging from wired automation to IoT based solutions, getting completely trained system integrators is always a challenge”says Vivek Yadav, Business Head and SVP, Havells India Ltd.

The challenges faced Data privacy and security concerns are the primary factors hindering the home automation market growth globally. When it comes to customised smart home solutions, affordability becomes a major issue for the mass due to the additional expense incurred by hiring smart home integrators. Also, easy availability of cheaper consumer products in the market tend to challenge the custom installed smart home industry.

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certain class of the society, their importance and necessity is still unknown to the mass. Besides, the advancement of technology and availability of You Tube have given birth to the concept of DIY, all over the world. People often start self-teaching with the support of You Tube videos and try to integrate smart home solutions all by themselves. Due to lack of proper training and experience, the experiments often turn out to be ineffectual.

INDUSTRY STORY

Completed Project by Havells India

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INDUSTRY STORY

“The biggest problem, we face these days, is that people tend to adopt the concept of selflearning taking the help of the internet. Whereas, people should be educated about the benefits of having a professional on board for installing smart home solutions, as most of the DIY solutions don’t work in Indian conditions”, says Aditya Gupta, India’s first ISF certified calibrator, HAA certified acoustician and Founder, CEO, The Soundsmiths & Residential Distribution at CCIIPL.

Therefore it is important to educate people about who are system integrators and what role do they play in integrating home automation in both existing homes or newly build properties. Apart from a considerable experience in the particular field, a CEDIA membership and numerous certifications authenticates a smart home integrator. Somehow, in India, the entire market of SIs often suffer due to lack law enforcement for the system integrators to have a certification to practice as a professional. Aditya adds, “Because there is no requirement for certifications or standards for certifications that are wellaccepted and enforced by law, anybody

“Compared to the kind of demand India has, the number of professionals working in the smart home industry is quite less. India needs more professional & consultants. Therefore, for an end-user it is very difficult to find certified professional”, says Badal Jain, CEO, Moorgen India.

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claims to be a professional and undertakes the project. This is where, I believe, a big problem lies. It is very much like Doctors fighting with quacks!” It is often quite difficult for architects/designers to get a legitimate system integrator for an extensive smart home project.

INDUSTRY STORY Completed Project by Moorgen India

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INDUSTRY STORY

Most popular Smart Home Segment Lighting control : Ranging from customisable mood lighting integrated with the entertainment hubs to motionsensor-based lightings that turns off after one steps out of the room, smart lighting controls are a must-have when planning for a customized smart home set up. Customizable switch panels are often integrated to dim/brighten the ambience lighting. The entire lighting setup can be controlled by switches, smartphones or by voice using Wi-Fi or home network systems.

Home Entertainment: When paired with smart home controllers, home cinemas comprising 4K projectors, OLED-LED Displays, large motorized roller screens that hides in the ceiling or a screen anchored to the wall, speakers(in-wall, in-ceiling, tower, bookshelf, satellite) and luxury loungers define ultimate luxury.

“Lighting remains one of the most used functions in a home and its popularity is also the highest among smart home users. Lighting is not just about switching on or off, there are so many other functions like dimming/colour & temperature controls/integration into automation routines & integration with shading/curtain controls. Energy efficiency via the use of smart sensors with lighting is another area which is now quite popular with smart home users”, says Vivek.

“Across all segments, the growing need for entertainment systems due to the OTT services and easy availability of content is pushing a lot of people to invest in evolved systems like smart televisions and home theatre systems. The sudden pandemic is also pushing people to enjoy from homes as the entertainment options outside the home are almost dormant. In that view, the need for automation systems makes operations simpler for people of all ages. Automation in my opinion is becoming a need for modern households” says Ashish.

Smart Home Security solutions:

Way Ahead

Due to the rising security issues globally, home security systems paired with a smart home controller are gaining immense popularity. When kids or elderly members are inside the house, real time video cameras can be integrated to keep an eye on what they are doing at your absence. Therefore, digital video security systems, with the capacity of capturing in low light indoor environments, are one of the must-have features among other smart home security solutions. Video door phones are also integrated to make sure that no unwanted visitors step inside your private property. Wireless Intrusion alarms are an integral part of smart home security solutions these days, as it informs home owners about unexpected intervention taking place at their absence or while asleep. Intrusion alarm systems, today, come with automatic arming and disarming capacity, remote access through SMS and a remote key pad.

The home automation industry is still evolving at an accelerated speed. Customised smart home solutions featuring IoT and M2M seems to be the future of the industry. “It is no longer considered a luxury, people are looking at this as a necessary option and I think in future it will be a must. The industry will grow in all prize segments with clear differences in the product lines” says Aditya.

“Security is another area which is close to all users, being able to remotely monitor and secure the various areas of your home is always of prime importance to smart home users. The use of smart sensors for intrusion detection, vibration detection, door ajar warnings, smoke and gas leak detections, electronic & biometric locking, while being able to remotely see the video feeds from various IP or Nanny cameras installed in the home are areas

which most smart homeowners look at as a solution they would like to own & install”, Vivek adds.

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Speaking on the future growth-graph of custom installed and retrofit solutions in India, Badal says, “Both solutions have their own markets. The custom solution goes well in the high-end luxury homes and the retrofit is a cost-effective solution that will be popular among smaller homes with budget restrictions. In terms of volume, the retrofit will gain more popularity for easy installation and lower price”. Supporting the above statement, Alok says, “Retrofit option will be less costly and would perhaps be more used in the developer segment for multi-dwelling units (MDUs) and mass markets in higher-end apartments”. “We live in a country where real estate is booming day by day. With people upgrading to a new home & increase in Spending Capacity people are looking for the best and unique products and solution, Custom smart home market is growing and will see a huge rise in the coming years”, Badal concludes.

INDUSTRY STORY

Completed Project by The Soundsmiths

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CASE STUDY

Villa – Transperence

The house combines modern architecture in contemporary style with the highest possible energy efficiency and, at the same time, a comfort that leaves all wishes fulfilled. Comprising ground + 2 floors, this 20000 sq. ft. luxury villa is owned by the founder of one of the top IT tech companies in India. The Purpose The main objective of the architects was to create transparency at all levels and create visibility both inside and outside. The basic concept was to use simple yet a state of the art materials, simple design language and a flow of different design elements merging to create a mirage of objects. The main intention was to provide a state of the art smart home automation system based on open protocol to primarily control lighting, HVAC, security, AV. The system and design had to be flexible and upgradeable for any future requirements. The user interface and control function had to be very simple, considering that users in the house would be of all age groups. 38

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Initial requirement of the client and SI Solutions ! Since the client is from an IT background and is also an angel investor in few home automation start-ups, he knew exactly what he wanted in this house. He was looking for a system, which was future proof,

IoT enabled, multi-protocol, crossplatform gateway enabled, cloudenabled at Edge and Web. The brief was to provide a fully integrated automation system that will offer ultimate comfort while managing and maintaining the available energy resources.

CASE STUDY

Entelechy System was appointed as a design integrator by the stakeholders. KNX was selected as automation system, as it is a standard-based system and was designed keeping in mind the requirements of the client. It is flexible, reliable, secure and connected. Applications that were asked for and system designed for, • Lighting: Switching, dimming, light scenes, timed control, automatic occupancy detection, lighting colour control. • Heating, Ventilation & Air conditioning (HVAC): VRV controls, central & automatic control, timed operation modes, individual room control/ zone control, co2 / humidity measuring, operation integrated with window contacts, displaying error codes of VRV systems on the visualisation and touch panels. • Blind and Shutter Control: Individual control, group & central control, pre-set positioning. • Security and Safety: Smoke/ fire detection , faults (e.g. leak detection, glass break detection,

window contacts) , access control biometric , intrusion detection / alarm systems , emergency lighting ( via ups), supervision/ surveillance (vdp/ cameras). • Operation and Visualisation: Switches/push buttons, pc visualisation, web servers, touch panels & display panels, tablets and smartphones. • Automation and Remote Access: Logical functions, system supervision, internet access, remote programming, messaging (e.g. SMS). • Energy Management/Smart Metering: Metering, data logging, visualisation, water tank level monitoring, peak demand monitoring, use of renewable energies. • AV: Whole house AV distribution based AVoIP ready, • Managed VLAN for different subsystems, VLAN based access to the internet with firewall/ w/o firewall. QoS for KNX, Security and AVoIP systems. • Network Security: SWG ( secure web gateway and UTM device) firewall, anti-virus systems.

The First step taken The planning started from empathically understanding the requirement of the client and all residents of the house. Their comfort level with automation systems was also considered. Certain discovery documents were given to the clients to fill up and discovery questions were also verbally discussed. These answers eventually helped in ideating the solutions. The concept form was shown to the client so that they get clarity on what they could expect from the solution. System demo was shown and all key components of systems were explained and physically displayed. Based on the selections, all approvals were taken from the Client and Architects. An example of a “System Architecture” showing subsystems and interconnections which was shared along with design basis, is shown below. Other systems like data/ AV/ telecommunication and network systems are designed and defined in the “Master system Architecture”.

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CASE STUDY

Example of Subsystem system architecture Stumbling Blocks During the execution of the projects, various discussions and requirements popped up from the client’s end. The biggest challenge in this project was, • Peak demand monitoring and management: The client requested architects and electrical consultants to install a utility meter of lower rating than the connected load. Since the client believes in sustainability and wanted to save energy, he asked to design a system for peak-load-demand monitoring and management. Rooftop solar renewable energy was also utilised as captive energy for the house. The connected load in the house was over 100 KVA, while the utility sanctioned load was 40KVA and renewable energy was around 20 KVA. Therefore, ideally, whenever the load in the house increases beyond its installed capacity, the automation system should be able to manage critical load and non-critical load to switch between different energy source.

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• System is designed to Implement BMS functions like smoke/ fire monitoring, water level monitoring of tanks, pump monitoring, visualisation, storing and printing of reports, trends, history, faults and alarms etc. • Since the whole house is open and with walls only on one side (back), security was of paramount importance. 5 (layers) levels of

security were created in the house. Starting from Perimeter IR detectors as level one, cameras as level 2, watchdog sensors as level 3 and door/ window contacts as level 4 and indoor sensors (occupancy cum intrusion) as level 5. • Different zones of security were created ( intrusion) and all these zones could be individually armed.

CASE STUDY

For example, if the daughter is alone in the bedroom on the 2nd floor, all other areas besides the 2nd floor will be armed and secured. Any movement in those areas will trigger the alarm and send messages to predefined phone numbers. Overcoming the Challenges During the design process, system flexibility was considered. In this project, every possible technique got integrated with the KNX system so that only 1 app will be required to visualize the entire infrastructure of thousands of functional group objects. To realise the above functions, Logic Machine 5 (LM5), world’s leading logic controller, a multiprotocol crossplatform gateway visualisation, was considered • LM5 was used as a visualization tool for monitoring and control of all the systems installed in the house like lighting, curtain motors, security, HVAC, metering, it also provide APP controls and Voice controls. • LM5 was used as an interface between the HVAC system (VRV) and KNX System so that HVAC can be controlled from Moorgen thermostat keypads and smart devices.

• LM5 is also acting as an interface between Grid Power/ Solar Power Electricity meters and KNX system and its readings can be shown on the visualization software. • ABB Security Panel GM/A 8.1 was considered for Zone based controls. KNX interface displays alarm states of smart panel to control automatic functions with the support of security sensors. The system can also be remotely accessed and monitored.

there is no need of traditional BMS controllers”, he adds. Doshi further adds, “Standardsbased system like KNX will ensure a cost-effective future up-gradation system. Distributed intelligence characteristics of the KNX system helped in reducing cabling and its cost. Using TCP/IP as a medium of communication, we could reduce the number of distribution panels across the building floors and also ensure faster and reliable communication

Overall Experience “Thanks to KNX technology for the various logic functions and better monitoring of energy usage, it offers. The system is Flexible and easy and to modify as well”, states Bhavesh Doshi, KNX Tutor, Educator, GEM CP and Founder of Entelechy group of Companies. “With so many functions and subsystems interacting and interfaced across the entire house, without any Central controller, implementing visualisation was extremely important and has proved to be very helpful in critical preventive maintenance. This project also demonstrates that energy-saving functions and high-level BMS functions can be implemented with KNX using advanced devices like LM5, and

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CASE STUDY

of the system. Smart homes and buildings are always an upgrade in comparison to conventional installation. Thanks to the usage of KNX, the door is now open to integrate new innovative solutions, using the worldwide standard for home and building control”. “The practice of designing for flexibility and keeping clients’ requirements and ease of use in focus, will eventually lead to happy clients”, he concludes.

Project Details with Products Integrated KNX gave freedom to designers to choose switches and keypads (user controls), application-specific controllers, security systems and central components from various range of manufacturers. Project

Villa Transperence

Architects

Aijaz Hakim Architects, Pune ( AHA)

Design Integrator

Entelechy Systems

Brands used

ABB

Logic Machine 5

Busch Jaeger

MOORGEN Germany

Schneider Electric

Hager Arcus Meanwell

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KNX Transmission media

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CASE STUDY

Mr. & Mrs. Murlidharan’s 5 BHK Apartment Mulund West – Mumbai. Designed by Interior Designer Veena Arunkumar

The apartment was planned for a family of five, with three generations comfortable under one roof. Merging two adjacent apartments into one, this home featured a mandir, living & dining area, four bedrooms, a spacious library, kitchen & a utility area.

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CASE STUDY

The Client’s Vision With an initial idea of an elegant home with self-contained bedrooms, designed to suit all the members of the family. The client envisioned a home with automated comforts that catered to the needs of three generations. The Scope of Work A complete renovation of the premise was required, by merging the two adjacent flats into one. Integration of automation started from the planning stage. The system integrator gave their inputs during the planning state. The electrical lighting wiring was as per the demands of the automation system. “Since the client wanted the entire house gadgets to be automated we closely worked with the manufacturer to convert into a smart home”, says Veena Arunkumar, Founder, Hallmark Interiors. “We convinced the client to hire the automation system integrator at the beginning of the project. This made it very easy for the system integrator to plan & suggest the best suitable automation system”, she added. The layout was finalised, with an understanding of the client’s requirements as well as those of the automation integrator. The automation system integrator suggested the I-Touch wi-fi module switch-based automation system which can be operated in multiple ways, including feather touch, RF remote control, voice command & mobile app. “Since we were catering to three generations, these options gave

flexibility of use to every individual. The entire lighting system, gadgets, Air conditioners, home theatre, curtains, music system was automated using all three options. This system also allowed us to configure different lighting combinations to create different mood lighting. The system integrator also suggested sensor lighting systems to areas like bathrooms & corridors where illumination is required to balance natural light & illuminated lighting. We incorporated a lot of suggestions given by the system integrator in our designs MAY 2021

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CASE STUDY

in terms of location of touch screens, lighting, brands for gadgets, integrating the home theatre, music system etc. Initiating the system integrator at the planning stage of the project also helped us in executing the same flawlessly due to the clarity of system, design & coordination between all the agencies also became easy”, says Veena.

products include the music system, TV, curtains, lights, fans, air conditioners, video door phone, door lock etc. A docking plus music player was installed in all the bedrooms. “This device integrates with any external device and one can easily play music, connect with external devices & speakers. It has its stereophonic speakers as well”, she adds.

Products Integrated

Stumbling Blocks crossed successfully

“We chose Goldmedal Automation System and I-Touch Wi-Fi module Switches which can be operated in multiple ways, including feather touch, RF remote control, voice command and mobile app”, Veena disclosed. Other

“We did face challenges integrating different product brands of lighting, TV, fan, AC etc but we managed to iron out all the issues since the service provider was appointed by us from the beginning of the project. But at the end of the day,

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CASE STUDY

what matters most is that the client was extremely happy and satisfied with the design that featured the latest state of the art and most importantly a userfriendly automation system. Our hard work paid off when even their 80-year-old grandmother could use the automation comfortably”, says Veena. The Final Takeaway! “I believe, the final take away from the project was that the home automation should be planned as per the aspiration and expectation of the clients that can be integrated well into a design, that will also be budget-friendly”, she concludes.

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INTERVIEW

Home automation doing a complete makeover of our regressive lifestyles! In conversation with Ar. Abhigyan Neogi

Smart homes are gaining immense popularity these days as modern home buyers today wish to reside in homes customized as per individual needs and budgets, thereby improving lifestyles. Smart homes create a better life experience for homeowners by providing ease in managing security and energy efficiency. Automated homes offer controlled and well-connected home interiors in terms of electrical connections, facilities, and functions. The comfort and convenience offered to the users in this fast-paced life are subpar. “Home automation helps to initiate a better lifestyle with an experience of automated lighting, home security systems, etc. It also helps generate data consumption details regularly leading to an integration of home energy management with the renewable energy system. The inclusion of technology and home automation also results in the emission of less carbon footprint, making it popular among homebuyers in today’s day and age”, says Ar. Abhigyan Neogi, Founder & Principal Architect at Chromed Design Studio, Delhi. 48

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INTERVIEW

What kind of consumer group is opting for it the most? The main consumer group for smart homes are encased around millennials. We can see the growing popularity of such homes also among the affluent section of the older generation. Smart temperature products are catching on more with homeowners of the older generation. There is a higher demand for automated household products such as Amazon’s Echo and Google’s Nest amongst firsttime home buyers. Conveniences offered and time-saving advantages are the most enticing factors when it comes to home automation.

it offers are fully explored. One should be able to attain maximum benefit and customize the product based on personal needs. Complete system integration involves putting together networking, security, and connectivity, facilitating inter-operation & user monitoring to maintain the application

themselves. System integrators can manage a complex area of property design which makes the lives of homeowners and design developers significantly easier. They hold a critical eye for design with aspects based on the needs and budgetary limitations of the user.

What according to you are the must-have smart home products in today’s contemporary homes? Several consumers are looking for devices that enhance personal assistance, home entertainment and home security these days. Smart home products such as Amazon’s Echo & Google’s Nest and advanced security cameras are gaining acceptance among home buyers. How important is the role of system integrators when it comes to designing a smart home? The true value of IoT can be recognized when the unlimited possibilities MAY 2021

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INTERVIEW

Products of which category (lighting, security, entertainment etc.) witness maximum demand when it comes to integrating smart home products while doing the interiors? Why? Curtain control and temperature control monitors have become a necessity. Digital locks and antitheft alarms are some of the security ensuring products gaining demand in the modern era. Motion sensing, automated lighting are other smart home products in regular demand amongst the consumer base. The convenience of controlling home interiors using mobile devices is the reason why smart home products are gaining fast-paced admiration. What according to you are the major benefits of Smart & connected homes in the current “tech-savvy-era”? What is the current demand graph for home automation? Smart homes allow one to tap into high-tech functionality and luxury that wasn’t available before. The

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possibilities of comfort for consumer home automation keep increasing with growing technological development for the following reasons: • It helps manage all home devices from one place. • Smart homes are flexible when it comes to the accommodation of new devices and technology integration. • It maximizes home security with smart surveillance features. • Smart homes improve energy efficiency while upgrading appliance functionality. The consumer interest generated by smart home tech has led the world’s biggest tech companies and innovators to enter a competition against each other. This has resulted in the constant development of smart home technology to match the growing needs of the industry. Which sector(hospitality, commercial, residential) according to should be

inclining more towards Smart Technologies? And why? Connected speakers, smart door locks, and intelligent check-ins are the future of the hospitality industry. Systems that automate lights turning off once the guest leaves the room are the driving force in hotels as they save energy consumption. The hospitality industry is exploiting technologically enabled strategies to bolster energy efficiency. The commercial sector is also seeing a rise in demand for energy and costefficient building systems. These include IoT-based strategies such as optimized heating, ventilation & air conditioning systems and lighting systems. Incorporating these attributes aids in delivering the best in the customer-based service industry. In what ways do you think the concept of smart homes/buildings has contributed to the lifestyles of working professionals? With the WFH scenario, the designers are trying to emphasize

INTERVIEW

the importance of pre-programmed automated routines. From the facility of curtain closures automatically opening at 7 am to the alarm going off without human intervention, life has been made convenient for working professionals. Automated scheduling of the day to computerized advantages, a working professional is gaining considerable assistance through smart building integration. How do you foresee the Smart home industry 5 years down the line? We envisage a greater integration of artificial intelligence revolutionizing the human aspect of remote video monitoring. Sharing homeowners data will probably be the next best thing. The data shared with the smart devices will be of great interest to the companies building these products. Technology will become more efficient and will be able to control everything from radio volume to security from one central unit. The smart home market has significant potential. There will be greater cross-compatibility and higher efficiency to automatically control all devices as per individual preferences. Would you like to share with us any of your interesting projects where you have integrated smart home products/ solutions? Nizamuddin residence is one of our projects integrated with home automation. The project is a hybrid of a residence and a workspace. A contemporary, minimalist and frugal design approach was adopted by the design team. The brief called for a humble abode that wasn’t ostentatious or gaudy. With clean lines and showcasing statement in its design vocabulary, doubleheight volumes & enormous atriums, this house is unique and highly innovative.

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INTERVIEW

Interoperable Standard to ease Smart Home Growth in India In conversation with Dr Aloknath De Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) defines a Secure IP Device Connectivity Framework that connects and intelligently manages the flow of information among devices to address the emerging needs of the Internet of Things. OCF is agnostic to form factor, operating system, vertical market, manufacturer or service provider. It also promotes the goal of broad interoperability via collaboration with other organisations and standards. Open Interconnect (OIC) was formed by industry leaders in 2014. Later OIC was unified with AllJoyn and evolved as Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF). OCF 1.0 specifications were ratified and accepted as international standards by ISO/IEC in 2018. Further, OCF specifications kept on evolving to support many consumer-centric use cases, robust security and interoperability. OCF 2.2.3 specifications can be downloaded from openconnectivity.org. It has an exclusive working group for the smart home. Smart Home Working Group identifies requirements for smart home and creates profiles, specification contributions and aligned data models that support identified smart home requirements. When asked about the importance of having a secure & interoperable IoT to develop better-connected solutions for Smart Homes & Intelligent Buildings, Dr Aloknath De, CTO, Samsung Research India and Chair, OCF India Forum, says, “Security and Interoperability are two key aspects of IoT. Even in legacy digital communication such as browsing and streaming, security has been crucial. In the case of IoT, all your devices at home or building are connected and can be accessed from anywhere. Hence the need and robustness of end2end security over the wire are more than ever before. OCF provides robust end2end security over the wire. OCF specification maps to 5 influential IoT baselines, namely NIST, CTA, ENISA, ETSI, UKs code of practice for consumer IoT security”. “Open interoperable standards help all the players, small or big, to complement each other and build a strong ecosystem which eventually benefits the biz and consumer. It’s a clear win-win situation. For instance, OCF is agnostic to underlying connectivity be it Wi-Fi or Thread and maps its data model with other popular protocols such as OneM2M, EnOcean, UPlus, AllJoyn, ZigBee, ZWave, BLE”, he adds. 52

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What is the difference between a smart, automated, and a connected home? A connected home is one where each device is paired with an application. For instance, your smartphone has an application to control light and another application to control the thermostat. A smart home is one where multiple devices are connected to common service and share information among them. Typically, devices in a smart home can be controlled using a single application in your smartphone. In a sense, you may call a smart home a “Fully Connected Home”. In a smart home, if device actions are automated when certain conditions are fulfilled, you can call it an automated home. What future trends do you foresee in the Smart home space in the short-to-medium term time frame? In the past few years, major appliance companies made smart devices available to the consumer. Currently, In terms of user experience, we see a small limitation in the current smart home ecosystem. Smart appliances of different manufacturers can’t be paired with each other that hampers device to device communication and automation among the devices from different manufacturers. OCF has a solution to address this problem. OCF Universal Cloud Interface (UCI) enables devices connected to different clouds to communicate seamlessly. In the short term, we see smart TVs and appliances would be controlled by smart applications through mobile phones. Also, we see intelligent communication and automation among relevant devices to save power or to deliver a unique consumer experience. For instance, the air conditioner would turn off automatically when Thermostat is turned on or the living room’s

ambient lighting would be adjusted when the TV is turned on. In the long term, we see all devices in a smart home working in tandem. For instance, the security camera recognizes your car is approaching and tells the thermostat to change the house temperature, turn on all necessary lights and preheat the oven. Also, we see smart homes seamlessly connected to the smart city for mutual service utilization.

(plgd.dev) so that manufacturers can deploy it on any cloud platform of choice. OCF defined more than 100 types of devices (home and kitchen appliances, space conditioning, lighting, multimedia, personal health and so on) and the behaviours associated with each type of device. This would enable manufacturers to produce an extensive range of customer-centric products for smart homes and buildings.

What market opportunity do you see in India?

What are OCF’s objectives & membership’s benefits?

In the 2nd Smart Home Expo, Bangalore, I elaborated on Indian market opportunities in my inaugural keynote talk on “Smart Homes in India: Making them a Reality”. Smart home revenue in India is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 20% over the next 5 years. In India entertainment, home surveillance, low-cost smart devices, energy-efficient smart homes would catch momentum. A consumer would start the IoT experience with smart TVs, security cameras, air conditioners, smart plugs, switches and lights. Being a matured specification for smart homes and buildings and the end2end technical offerings it has for SMEs, OCF is comfortably positioned as the first choice for deploying smart homes in India.

The primary objective of OCF is to have an Open IoT Ecosystem, wherein interoperability, security, scalability and consumer focus are the key building blocks. OCF has various membership levels tailored for the research and business needs of organizations. Adopter member can use the standard, Gold (and nonprofit educational gold) member can create the standard, Platinum member can create and vote on the standard and Diamond member can influence the organization by taking chair positions in various workgroups.

What are OCF’s technology offerings? What role OCF is playing in helping manufacturers to produce customer-centric smart home devices? OCF provides a specification, opensource and certification program to enable manufacturers to bring OCF certified products to the market. OCF provides two reference device solutions namely, IoTivity for resourceful devices and IoTivity-Lite for constrained devices with Apache 2.0 license along with free tools for compliance verification. OCF also provides a reference cloud solution

What role OCF India Forum is playing in the country? The main objective of the OCF India Forum is to bring more OCF devices to the Indian market by creating OCF awareness in India and helping SMEs to build products with OCF. To achieve this, we reach out to SMEs through various developer events, workshops and published blogs/ podcasts/articles. Additionally, OCF India Forum collaborates with Indian SDOs, Trade and Government bodies such as TSDSI, NASSCOM to build OCF-based interoperable & secured IoT ecosystem in India. Currently, we are collaborating with TSDSI to prototype and demonstrate Smart Home- Smart City cases using OCF bridges.

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INTERVIEW

The growing popularity of home automation among the new generation homeowners

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INTERVIEW

The growing popularity of home automation among the new generation homeowners The ease and comfort added to lives by smart homes are admirable. The concept of smart homes has helped people in saving time and energy consumption. Technological intervention in homes has created a better life experience in terms of various functions, facilities and system connectivity. “Mostly the newer, affluent section of the society is leaning towards home automation. Since the newer generation is more informed about the latest innovations worldwide, they are quite open to trying out new technology if it makes their lives more comfortable. Most of the smart home technology is also being incorporated by families with children under the age of 18”, says Interior Designer Shaily Ganatra, Founder, The Auura Interior Design Studio.

What according to you are the musthave smart home products in today’s contemporary homes?

How important is the role of system integrators when it comes to designing a smart home?

Amazon Alexa provides one with all the features of a smart home device once paired with capable software. Automated curtains, blinds, and motion sensor lighting are gaining rapid popularity. Smart locks with the provision of biometrics are also considered as the must-have smart home devices these days.

System integrators are familiar with the standard construction protocols when it comes to wiring and networking. A smart home integrator brings in their experience to design and implement a smart home system. They perform various comprehensive assessments before making decisions on the ideal system to be used in the space. Such decisions are also based on the needs MAY 2021

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INTERVIEW

and budget limitations of the client as well as the desired functionality, property design and location.

and make adjustments accordingly.

Products of which category (lighting, security, entertainment etc.) witness maximum demand when it comes to integrating smart home products while doing the interiors? Why?

Because of the advantages offered there has been a rising demand for smart home technology being integrated into daily lives. This has resulted in the constant development of smart home technology with the industry on a tremendous upward trajectory.

Lighting and entertainment sections offer improved technological convenience when integrated with automation. One can alter the mood created in the

Which sector(hospitality, commercial, residential) according to should be inclining more towards Smart Technologies? And why? According to me, the healthcare, real estate and retail industries have already been enabled by smart building integration. But there is an evident increase in its use in the hospitality industry. Smart hotels are on the rise and the benefits are impacting both the hotel operators and guests alike. IoT-connected devices create a better experience and streamlined management for the staff. Guests are enjoying the improved comfort and hotel owners are seeing a benefit from the increased cost and energy efficiency. In what ways do you think the concept of smart homes/buildings has contributed to the lifestyles of working professionals?

room with a touch of a button on the smartphone. With automated controlled lighting and audio, one can also develop an unparalleled entertainment atmosphere. Upgraded security is an added advantage introduced that aids in 360-degree surveillance. What according to you are the major benefits of Smart & connected homes in the current “tech-savvy-era”? What is the current demand graph for home automation? Management and the flexibility offered by the appliances enhance the convenience factor of the user. The incorporation of security features in the smart home network maximizes tangible security measures taken while monitoring various activities. Remote-controlled home functions also boost energy efficiency and release less carbon footprint. The refined ability to tap into management insights helps understand how the home operates. From the amount of screen time to the energy consumption habits, one can analyze their daily behaviours 56

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Amongst the working professionals, the inclusion of smart buildings has made working a more streamlined

INTERVIEW

experience with data being uploaded and computerized. For instance, it is easier for large MNCs to keep track of the data churned from all of their bases, placed worldwide. With the current work-from-home scenario, technology is helping to keep everyone connected and aiding in smooth work functioning. From scheduled calendars to a single cloud database, it is easier for working professionals to sit and operate large companies from their home desks without a glitch in the process. How do you foresee the Smart home industry 5 years down the line? There was a sharp increase in the demand for smart homes in the last few years. We are now being approached more often by clients who want to integrate smart tech and automation into the design scheme. I believe that most of the future homes will have smart tech included as a bare necessity. With improved AI, the day is not far when all our information will be gathered into the cloud and our entire lifestyle will change for good. MAY 2021

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ADVERTORIAL

BRING HOME COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE WITH GM HOME AUTOMATION SOLUTIONS

Home Automation has always been an integral part of smart homes. With incredible innovations and a constant attempt to make lives exceptionally convenient, GM revolutionized the field with G-Bus Home Automation solution. G-Bus with KNX Automation Solutions - Belgium, brings an excellent range of options for the efficient functioning of a smart home. Tasks at home like switching

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fans, temperature control, blinds, and shutter control, and even security can effortlessly be carried out by one powerhouse that is the G-Bus Home Automation

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Since

home

automation has entered millions of homes to attain universal comfort, here are the key features that make G-Bus the ideal solution for contemporary homes:

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ADVERTORIAL

Curtain and blind control: G-Bus allows seamless control of curtains and blinds with minimum effort. Just a touch from your smartphone or your voice command is required for the adjustment, opening, and closing of the drapes and curtains at any given time. It also enables you to schedule when the drapes need to be opened and closed as desired.

“Technological innovation is one of the key focus areas of GM with the sole aim of revolutionizing

Smart Air Conditioning: Relaxation is almost synonymous with the word home. And to add to the perfect moment of relaxation, G-Bus helps to set the perfect climate indoors with its smart Air conditioning system, which adapts to the climatic conditions automatically and sets the ideal temperature for your home.

and simplifying the lives of our customers across India, the Middle East, and now in Europe. With G-Bus Home Automation System, GM offers a wide range of home automation solutions that grants you an intelligent lifestyle. Our Home Automation solutions are exactly the need of

Lighting control: The first thing that comes to mind with Home automation is how you can remotely, or rather magically control the lights! More than switching on or off your lights, with G-Bus one can set moods and create scenarios that best suit your well-being.

the hour when it comes to catering future-proof technology to your homes to make living more convenient, safe, and flexible.” said Mr. Jayanth Jain, CEO & MD, GM.

Energy Efficiency: Smart saving is almost inevitable with smart technology. This is easily possible with G-Bus as it allows Timed Operation Modes and automatically turns off lights, fans, AC, etc. when not in use, saving energy and reducing costs. Home Security: G-Bus ensures complete peace of mind with smart security and detection systems such as the Smart Door Lock, Multi-function Thermostat, Motion, and Presence Detectors. The intelligent software-based application also enables you to check and manage your home’s ambiance and security through your smartphones. MAY 2021

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ONGOING TRENDS

Get Smarter with your Smart Lights!

Among all the smart home products out there, smart lights have gained maximum popularity among the Indian mass. We all know what smart lights are and how to switch them on/ off using remotes or mobile phones! But smart lights and their huge list of utilities are beyond just switch-off/switch-on. When used aptly, the trio-combination of smart bulbs, switches and plug-in outlets can change the complete look and feel of your house with just a few accessories and some exciting apps. Smart lighting uses mesh networking where an individual smart bulb wirelessly connects to its closest neighbour. A smart home platform/hub controls that network and is plugged into the router allowing your phones and tablet to link with the bulbs. The three main kinds of smart bulbs include standard, candle bulbs and spotlights. Smart lights are capable of turning around the complete aura and appearance of a room. For those looking to do a quick, temporary makeover of a room without the hassle of repainting or reassembling props, smart spotlights and light strips are “The Ultimate Game Changer”! So, if you want to get your mood ready for a horror movie? Use a compatible smart remote or just command Alexa or Siri and the bright ambience lighting will change into maybe somewhat shadowy, oozing out spooky vibes. The Philips Hue line features a wall-mounted smart remote and a smart button. The Lutron Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer fixes a toggle switch on the top of the regular switch. Once attached, one has to simply set it up on the app and get easy control over up to 50 hue lights. 60

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ONGOING TRENDS

Smart Buildings with a futuristic approach!

Smart and intelligent building solutions have evolved rapidly in the past 5 to 10 years with a global shift from stand-alone building automation systems to advanced integrated systems with building performance optimization capabilities keeping personalized experience and occupant’s well-being at the center of the design. The pandemic has reinstated the criticality of the new smart building narrative and accelerated the adoption of such solutions in the past one year. “Smart and intelligent building strategies need to be designed with a long-term vision to deliver enterprise-level performance optimization prioritizing energy, comfort, security (physical and cyber) and productivity”, says Anirudh Bhaskaran, Senior Industry Analyst- Energy & Environment, Frost & Sullivan. “Some of the sophisticated smart building solutions available in the global market are cloud hosted; leveraging AI/ML capabilities to integrate IT and OT data to automate operational processes, assets, and people ensuring business address critical challenges related to performance, sustainability and safety. The expected outcomes of such smart building solutions are an increased energy cost savings, reduced operating expenses and enhanced occupant experience. It also provides a healthy building environment and creates a sustainable built environment”, he adds. MAY 2021

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ONGOING TRENDS Is the Indian Building Technologies Industry ripe for disruptive digital service innovation? The buildings in India equipped with legacy building automation and building management systems are capable enough to provide the first two outcomes mentioned above, if operated efficiently and diligently. However, the majority of the building operators in BAS or BMS-equipped buildings use the legacy systems for only basic purposes such as set point management and time scheduling due to lack of skills and lack of awareness on the actual system capabilities. The scenario is fast changing in the Indian building technologies industry as the building operators undergo various training programmes and workshops on the building automation and building management systems. The increasing awareness on the value generated by smart and intelligent buildings; increasing penetration of transformational technologies such as AI/ML, IoT, Cloud in buildings; India’s continued commitment towards climate change and compliance to Paris agreement; and ever expanding commercial segment of the Indian construction industry is expected to drive the Indian smart and intelligent building market to grow at a CAGR of 12% to 17% from 2020 to 2025. The large commercial offices, airports and luxury hotels have the maximum adoption of smart and intelligent building solutions with integration and optimization capabilities, whereas high residential complexes, public institutional and industrial buildings have high growth potential for future adoption. Some of the famous smart buildings promoting energy efficiency, sustainability and

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safety are Cisco’s Smart Campus in Bangalore, Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, Chhatrapathi Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, ITC Maurya in New Delhi, Apollo Hospitals in Ahmedabad, Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, DLF Mall of India in Noida, DLF Infinity Tower in Gurgaon, Omkar 1973 residential tower in Worli and The 42 residential tower in Kolkata. AI with machine learning and deep learning capabilities is key for transforming smart buildings to cognitive buildings that deliver enterpriselevel performance optimization with personalized experiences without compromising occupant’s comfort. Healthy buildings is another key service that gained momentum in 2020 due to the pandemic which forced the leading building technology and HVAC companies to launch healthy building services on top of their existing solution to explore new opportunities in both advanced and emerging markets. Some of the healthy building services and post-COVID-19 applications available in the market are Face mask detection, temperature scanning, social distancing, contact tracing, compliance monitoring, IAQ-based ventilation, and UV-C disinfection. The growth environment and opportunities are huge for building technology players offering smart building solutions targeting the Indian market in the post-COVID-19 environment. However, the flexibility of smart building players to customize offerings with attractive payment model, installed base of legacy systems and the widespread reach of its distribution channel partners would determine the success of smart building players in the Indian market.

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PRODUCT GALLERY Experience music like never before with the innovative speakers by Gallo Acoustics

A’Diva SE

Lucia intelligent touch switches by CJC Systems The Lucia Switch has a Horizontal RGB LED Line on the surface. These lines are sensitive to the human touch. A single swipe is all that it takes to switch on/off the lights & combinations of one, two, or four LED lines are available. The Lucia Switch processes many different commands & numerous programmation. The switch is the first thing you see” responded Jaecques. Lucia is available in 14 standard colours. All RAL-finishes are available on request. The switch can be used with an impulse relay (24V) or with home automation systems. There is also a special KNX-version available.

By using a spherical enclosure, internal resonance and external diffraction, the two main causes of loudspeaker distortion have been eliminated. The A’Diva’s redesigned all-metal terminal area includes nickel heads and gold plated posts, allowing connection via standard-sized banana plugs as well as the option to use a heavier gauge of speaker cable up to 4 mm in diameter.

Strada 2 It is the latest incarnation of Gallo’s acclaimed Strada Reference Loudspeaker. It is a winning mix of impressive power handling, sensitivity, frequency response and textbook perfect dispersion. A true hi-fi quality loudspeaker that’s equally impressive on a wall or a floor stand, with music or a dynamic movie soundtrack.

The “Multifunctional Button” for the Smart Homes The Gira Push Button Sensor 4 is available in 1-gang, 2-gang and 4-gang versions. Offering a generous operating surface with excellent touch and feel. Having outer dimensions of 95 x 95 mm, it offers noticeable feedback when activated.

Make your Home SMART in a hassle-free way with Busbro range and smart sockets by Havells! BUSPRO Buspro wired automation offers high adaptability, scalability & integration capabilities. It is suitable for both new or renovated buildings allowing electrical & structural changes.Buspro wired automation offers robust and fail-safe installations with manual overrides. It works on CAT 5 Wiring.

Smart Socket One can control (Switch On / Off or Schedule Timer) appliances like geysers, air conditioners, and water pumps using the Crabtree Smart Socket via mobile (Havells DigiTap App) and voice commands.

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PRODUCT GALLERY

Linksys Velop MX5300 Tri-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Offering exceptional speed, coverage, and capacity, Linksys Velop MX5300 Tri-Band Wi-Fi 6 Mesh is the next generation of Wi-Fi. Combining Intelligent Mesh technology with Wi-Fi 6. It delivers true gigabit WiFi speed up to 5.3 Gbps. Capable of sending and receiving multiple streams of data simultaneously, Wi-Fi 6 has 4X more capacity than Wi-Fi 5 technology. And the ability to handle 50 devices or more simultaneously with ease.

Moorgen Rotary Crystal Panel

Morgen smart remote The simple and detailed design lends a modern and distinctive personality. User-friendliness goes hand in hand with a high degree of convenience, as the freely programmable preset modes provide intuitive and unified control of everything in the house. Also, it perfectly fits in the hand.

Osum presents India’s first smart switch with builtin Wi-Fi. Smart to turn on anything and ready to fit in anywhere. With multiple dimming solutions, it controls lights, curtains, TV, AC, door locks, etc. all from a single switch.The World’s 1st wireless Dali scene controller. It can pause movies, mute TV, etc. from the wall scene controller. It is one switch that controls multiple rooms.With its luxury and smart wall panels, creating 16 scenes from one switch.This smart switch requires only a pair of looping wire, to create switchless walls. All the benefits of controlling multiple devices with a help of a single device, access through your smartphone is now cost-effective and made in India.

It is a multi-functional rotary controller featuring press plus rotation controls of lights, curtains, speakers, air conditioners, etc. Inspired by diamond cutting, the geometry gives each fold a different shine. It comes with crystal-decorated glass keys.

Moorgen Smart Control Knob / Horse Shoe A simple push or turn is sufficient to manage lighting, curtains, or the air conditioning. It is easy and intuitive to use. The artistic design emulates the appearance of a large pebble. The casing is made of black plexiglass and metal which creates a striking contrast.

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PRODUCT GALLERY

CasaTunes: CT-2 - 2 Stream Music Server Music Streamer for Multi-Room Audio Application. With CT2 one can stream online Spotify, Amazon Music, and built-in internet radio streams, music services, or any local music. Also, one can play music from any android devices/ apps or iOS devices and iTunes using AirPlay.

ProControl : ProLink.z Processor Exceptionally easy to program and personalize, the Pro24.z is the ultimate Control processor from RTI featuring 6 IR Port, 2 RS232 Port, IP control, and an Unlimited User License. Ideal solution for 4-5 BHK homes.

SmartiQo- your new smart home companion! Glass Panel Switches With capacitive touch technology, it offers a sleek design, voice assistant (Google, Alexa, Siri) enabled, scheduling feature, and timer option. Devices can be controlled remotely through apps. It is interoperable with other Smartiqo devices, wireless, and easy to install. Featuring heat, humidity, and a shockproof tempered glass frame, backlit with blue LED lights.

Smart Door Locks It remotely opens the door lock through the app. An OTP generates a password to open and set temporary passwords. SmartiQo’s Smart Door Lock’s body and frame are made up of pure stainless steel. It features an auto-locking mechanism.

RTI : T4x Remote Control RTI’s T4x remote is perfectly suited for any contemporary environment, the controller’s sleek, sophisticated design offers superb ergonomics, a high-resolution 4-inch capacitive touchscreen and fully programmable soft-touch buttons. Setting the standard for wireless control, the device is packed with advanced features including grip sensors, Wi-Fi, dual RF, and more.

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Smart Video Doorbell With the help of this doorbell, one will get notifications on the phone when someone calls. The camera smoothly records videos and saves them on the cloud storage available. It offers an in-built mic for 2-way communication through app and doorbell. It offers a resolution of 1080 Full HD and also a night vision mode. An in-built PIR motion detector is available.

Announcing

NEW DATES

3 rd

2021

5 - 6 OCT

International Exhibition & Conference on Smart Home Technology, Home Automation, Audio -Video & Intelligent Building

NEHRU CENTRE, WORLI, MUMBAI

(IN-PERSON) Explore the

TECHNOLOGY for CONNECTED HOMES EXHIBITION NETWORKING PRODUCT DEMO CONFERENCE TRAININGS

BOOKINGS OPEN Title Partner:

Smart Home Technology Partner:

Smart Home Integration Partner

Associate Partner

AV Connectivity Partner:

Smart Automation Partner:

Motion Partner:

FOR BOOKINGS, PLEAE CONTACT:

Media Partner:

Sandeep Singh +91 7506017744 | sandeep@smarthomeexpo.in Vinayak Paradkar +91 7506503881 | vinayak@smarthomeexpo.in

SMARTHOME WORLD

Organised by:

WORLD MEDIA & EXPO LLP

www.smarthomeexpo.inMAY 2021 I SMARTHOME WORLD I 67

Whole home lighting control made simple

SIMPLE. RELIABLE. AFFORDABLE  Easy app setup  Automated system configuration  Connect up to 100 devices throughout the home

Dimmer & Switches

Keypads

www.lutron.com/asia 68

I SMARTHOME WORLD I MAY 2021

Sensors

Control Interface and App

Window Treatments

New Delhi | Mumbai | Bangalore +91-124-439-0130 | 1800-102-0093 lutronindia@lutron.com

Smart Home World -May 2021 | E -Magazine

Articles inside

Mr. & Mrs. Murlidharan’s 5 BHK Apartment Mulund West – Mumbai.

NEWS

ONGOING TRENDS

INDUSTRY STORY

CASE STUDIES

PRODUCT GALLERY

SPECIAL FEATURES