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Home Automation

Home automotion or domotics, as it is sometimes called, involves the creation of automated controls for homes and household appliances. Improving our comfort, safety and security is its primary objective.

Home automation is as simple as selecting the programme and pressing the start button on your dish washer! But in this case the programme is managed remotely by a centralised control panel. Domotics is truly designed to simplify your everyday life!&rdquo says designer Christophe Pillet, who has produced a model apartment to help people become more familiar with these new technologies.

No need for you to adapt. It&rsquos the technology that adapts to you and not the opposite. All you have to do is imagine the scenario. Already programmed on a centralised control panel, new functions can be activated by a simple click. Here is a typical winter&rsquos day in home automation mode: 7.30 am, the roller blinds gradually open, the temperature increases and the coffee starts brewing in the kitchen &ndash who could think of a better way to wake up? 9 am, you switch to &ldquooff-to-work&rdquo mode: the garage door opens, the lights go off, the blinds and windows close and the burglar alarm is set. At 6 pm, when you are ready to go home, you turn on the lights, heating or air-conditioning from your mobile phone or computer. The house is ready to welcome you. At 7 pm, you move into relaxation mode, the light dims and music wafts through the house. At 9 pm, it&rsquos home cinema time &ndash the screen comes down from the ceiling and the loudspeakers are turned on. The movie can begin.

Every room in the house can be part of the system. The bathroom can be turned into a multimedia environment. When you&rsquore shaving in the morning, you can check the weather report and news on a screen concealed in the mirror. The bathtub is equipped with a watertight television that has foot controls. If you want to relax to music, you simply use the remote to activate the sound system in the walls.    No more post-its in the kitchen but a tactile screen so you can add to your shopping list, look at a video recipe or consult your emails while cooking the evening meal.

But a smart home doesn&rsquot only make everyday life easier. It has other important uses. First, in terms of security, various systems are available: video surveillance with video cameras, motion detectors that set off alarms that are transferred to your mobile or alert a security service. Domotics also helps seniors and persons with reduced mobility to maintain their independence. To be able to manage most domestic activities without having to move, simply by pressing on a Remote control , is a wonderful advantage.

The last major trump card is obviously environmental. A light that only comes on when a person enters the room, blinds that automatically close when the sun goes down and heating that is turned off when the window is opened are just a few examples of how you can reduce your energy bill by as much as 75%. Your investment will soon pay for itself.

If you are still skeptical about the advantages of home automation, why not visit the home of the future at &ldquoLiving Tomorrow&rdquo? Located in Vilvorde in Belgium, this intriguing showroom presents the latest technologies for the home, office and shop. An exciting fun way of apprehending the future!