THE HISTORY OF AUTOMATION SERIES

Most industrial operations are automated with the goal of boosting production and reducing the cost of labor. In the same year, the Taiwanese tech giant joined hands with Dell and Intel to create the Open Interconnect Consortium, an industry standard to define connectivity requirements for the potentially billions of IoT devices we are surrounded with.Automation in theВ manufacturing industryВ has evolved from the use of basic hydraulic and pneumatic systems to todayвЂ™s modern robots. In 2014, Samsung bought the company for a whopping $200 million. 2 years later, SmartThings, an app to monitor and control smart devices, home appliances, TVs, and speakers registered on the server.

In 2010, Tony Fadell, who is better known as the designer of iPod, introduced his own company вЂњNestвЂќ to build advanced, Wi-Fi enabled smart devices like smoke alarms and thermostat. However, it was not until 2000s that the smart home revolution started gaining its momentum. For instance, DisneyвЂ™s 1999 flick вЂњSmart HouseвЂќ, depicted a household entirely controlled by an artificial intelligence system called PAT. The concept of smart homes began influencing pop culture as well. The invention of microcontrollers dared us to imagine a future where smart homes would be the norm. The 90s were a significant time in the history of home automation. Transforming at the speed of thought-1990s to the present In 1939, just before the Second World War, speculations continued to grow as the Popular Mechanics magazine, in an article titled 'The Electric Home of the Future' described cooking devices that use 'short-wave radio frequency' and 'electrical means of recording news reports and pictures as soon as the news happens.' Although work on home automation came to a halt as most of the research was focused to augment the war efforts, these predictions proved true and these products turned into a reality that finds its place in every household today. While at that time these products seemed like a distant dream, they have now become an essential part of modern houses.

The House of Tomorrow exhibition at the Chicago WorldвЂ™s Fair in 1933 was a landmark event in the history of automation as it turned heads by displaying a wide array of futuristic devices including electric lights with adjustable dimming feature, built-in dishwashers, central air conditioning system, electric garage door openers to name a few.

LetвЂ™s briefly explore the history of home automation through the ages to understand its evolution and what surprises automated homes hold for us in the future: Pulak Satish Kumar, COO, Puresight Systems speaks to Deccan Chronicle on how home automation came into existence and how it will change the future ahead. Currently, however, it has become commonplace and might soon be the way we live in the future. However, the concept, either at a blueprint stage or through pilot projects, has been around for a while now. Research shows that the global smart home automation market is expected to reach a whopping 21 billion US dollars by 2020. If anything, they make our lives easier and more convenient.ДЄs 2019 dawns on us, entirely connected, easy-to-control smart homes are becoming increasingly commonplace. For instance, the concept of вЂsmart homesвЂ™ which вЂWhite ChristmasвЂ™ dealt with, in reality pose no danger to humanity.

THE HISTORY OF AUTOMATION SERIES

Although the series as a theme tries to paint a bleak picture of technologyвЂ™s role for dramatic purposes, come to think of it, rapidly transforming technology has brought nothing but convenience to us till now. For instance, its вЂWhite ChristmasвЂ™ episode shows a smart home, which is fully controlled by an adorable, egg-shaped AI named вЂCookieвЂ™.

Black Mirror, the internationally acclaimed, popular Netflix series, has struck a chord with viewers all around the world thanks to its thought-provoking, dystopian tales about the near-future.

The history of automation