The Evolution of “Smart” Homes & Technology

It’s been about 30 years since Home Innovation Research Labs built the first Smart House prototype in our research home park located in Maryland. The whole “smart home” concept has been on the verge of exploding in the market for decades, but along the way changing homes, demographics, technologies, and lifestyles have continued to evolve and caused wrinkles in the plans of companies and organizations bringing this technology to market.

Homes today are filled with all types of “smart things” – e.g., TVs, phones, appliances, thermostats, and many others. But does that qualify today’s homes as smart? The definition of a smart home has changed dramatically since the 80’s — from a hard-wired system linked through a central command center in the home, to today’s concept of “connectedness” and mobile technologies. And it’s bound to continue to change as technologies (and operators?) get smarter and more advanced.

Since 1998, Home Innovation has tracked the shares of new homes with various home electronics, including Whole-House Automation.

Source: Home Innovation's Annual Builder Practices Survey

Our 2018 Builder Practices Survey found that Structured Wiring, the backbone of home internet and A/V connectivity, is now found in most homes. Other technologies, like Whole-Home Automation or even Automated Lighting Controls, are included in a small minority of homes, particularly higher-end dwellings. And there are substantial differences between home electronics and housing types — some are more common on multifamily homes, others on single-family homes.

Home Innovation’s Builder Practices Report on Home Automation is currently available, providing insight into market penetration and systems installed at national, state, metro, and county levels. Contact me if you’d like to dive deeper into this ever-growing and quickly evolving market.

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