SMART HOME CONTROL

This was a subject I had addressed in my book, the "Guide to the Home and Related Objects", by demonstrating the interest that home automation can have for people with reduced mobility. Last Monday, I was able to attend the presentation of BlueLinea, a French company specializing in this field, which is a good illustration of what I said. A short video of Bluelinea presents its activity very well, through testimonies:

Last Monday, the company announced the launch of its new product, BlueHub, in collaboration with Apple, since the solution in question is based on Homekit and Siri. Even if the solution is not Bluelinea's, this video broadcast by Apple in the United States shows very well the interest of home automation and Siri for people with reduced mobility:

Already having solid knowledge in the field, as well as an adapted product catalog, BlueLinea wanted to go further by proposing a complete home automation solution, adapted to each person, each disability being different, with its particular constraints. Working closely with Apple, as well as other giants in the field of home automation and automation (Hager, Legrand, Somfy, Geze), it has developed a solution that incorporates the best of today's technology, with the man/machine interface using Apple's Homekit and its Siri voice assistant.

The technology exists, it just needed to be made available, especially in France, but above all to be easily installable, reliable and affordable. Some specialized equipment, such as remote controls, exist, but are extremely expensive due to the number of products manufactured in small quantities. The result is a very high price, and a very long renewal period, as the technologies are not all new. This is how Blue Hub was born, which comes in the form of a starter pack, which will be sold at around €2000 to some 2500 certified installers of the Handibat network, which includes installers specializing in home support.

The solution has been designed to be "industrializable", scalable, and durable, based on open protocols, such as Z-wave, as we can see on the content photo, which offers Fibaro devices in particular. The heart of the system is a din rail block, which will therefore be housed directly in the electrical panel, avoiding any maintenance and handling errors on the part of the user. The strength of this solution is also based on the network of Handibat installers, but also Silverbat (Handibat being specialized for people with reduced mobility, and Silverbat for seniors).

In addition to the equipment, it is also the support offered by Bluelinea 24/24 that is a real plus, both for the installer and the user.

On the user side, no complicated application: everything happens in the "Home" application, native to Apple devices, which we presented here. From favorites in the iOS dashboard, to voice control using Siri, all the uses planned by Homekit are of course available. The Apple TV can then become the center of the house, since as a reminder, it is the one that bridges the gap between home and the outside.

Initially intended for people with loss of autonomy, linked to old age or disability, these solutions are already of interest to the general public, which is naturally part of the development of "Smart Home" in France and then in Europe.

Home automation can help in many areas, to save energy, improve safety, or increase comfort. For most people, home automation for comfort comes last, because it is still difficult to justify an expense of 200€ for example to drive bulbs with your smartphone. But for nearly 20% of the population, simple actions such as turning on the light, opening a door or closing shutters can quickly become extremely complicated. This population includes all people with disabilities, reduced mobility and seniors, who may suffer from osteoarthritis, for example. Here, this "comfort" home automation system, which may seem like a gadget, makes sense. You just have to think it through and put it in place correctly. A bet that seems to have worked for Bluelinea.