| Smart homes technologies are and will remain a new | | | | user would find it difficult to use a GUI and somebody |
| idea for quite some time. Research is taking place to | | | | with motor impairments would have a tough time using |
| understand the potential advantages that smart homes | | | | a keyboard and mouse, however deaf users would |
| can achieve, however So far most of the research | | | | clearly struggle to use a speech-enabled system, so I |
| has centered around graphical interface control, with | | | | would recommend including a GUI and voice control |
| very little thought going into alternate user interfaces, | | | | functionality. |
| the most notable being the use of voice, which would | | | | There are a number of voice applications out there in |
| prove to be a very convenient method of automating | | | | industry, for instance, when you top up your mobile |
| your home appliances. | | | | phone or telephone the bank you are taken through a |
| When using a GUI the homeowner can usually only | | | | series of steps and can select from a number of |
| controls appliances from a display screen and is unable | | | | options that were programmed into an automated |
| to automate the smart home technology elsewhere in | | | | voice application. Typically these applications are |
| the household. For a voice application Bluetooth is a | | | | designed using VoiceXML on a standard PC, which |
| good wireless standard to use because it can connect | | | | can then be accessed from any telephone via a |
| easily to a PC and as long as the user stays within | | | | pre-determined number. |
| 10-100 metres of the computer the smart home | | | | Maybe there is potential here to control your |
| application can be controlled. | | | | appliances simply by picking up a phone and selecting |
| Voice control would be particularly advantageous to | | | | from a series of options. I hope this gives you |
| those with disabilities, for example, a visually impaired | | | | something to think about at least. |