Smart devices are electrical items that can be connected to the Internet and use WiFi to share information. They include ‘hi-tech’ devices such as speakers, fitness trackers and security cameras as well as standard household appliances such as fridges, kettles and thermostats. Smart devices can be bought separately and added to a home one at a time, or they can be part of a complete smart home system that includes voice control of lighting, heating, appliances and doors.
Do Smart Devices Need to Interact With People?
Information technology is revolutionizing products that combine hardware, sensors, microprocessors and software. A product is considered “smart” if it meets three key criteria: context awareness (sensors), autonomous computing and network connectivity. A smartphone is an excellent example of a smart device. But a surveillance camera that uses computer vision to recognize objects and report the results to a cloud service also qualifies as a smart device, even though it does not require direct interaction with humans.
Many smart devices alert owners to security or maintenance issues remotely. A smart lock, for instance, lets you unlock your door from afar or keep an eye on who’s coming and going. A smart thermostat can be set to automatically turn off lights or appliances and can also monitor energy usage. And a smart appliance like a smart refrigerator can send an alert when it is nearing the end of its useful life, prompting you to replace it.