Comment Re:There's more to automation than information (Score 1) 409
I can agree with that. Process control (watering the yard when it's dry, keeping the indoor temperature controlled, etc) is a great place to remove the need for regular human attention.
The issue there, though, is that the available dedicated systems for handling those tasks are way cheaper than a general-purpose property-wide controller. And there's little substantial gain in value by having these dedicated-handlers integrated into a larger controller framework. Yes, allowing my sprinkler system to talk to the internet and adjust it's watering based on the weather report is pretty sweet. But a 2 dollar soil-moisture gauge gets the same job done. It's good enough.
The consumer market agrees that thermostats are in general a good thing. But consumers don't see the advantage in integrating the thermostat into a more complex system.
The issue there, though, is that the available dedicated systems for handling those tasks are way cheaper than a general-purpose property-wide controller. And there's little substantial gain in value by having these dedicated-handlers integrated into a larger controller framework. Yes, allowing my sprinkler system to talk to the internet and adjust it's watering based on the weather report is pretty sweet. But a 2 dollar soil-moisture gauge gets the same job done. It's good enough.
The consumer market agrees that thermostats are in general a good thing. But consumers don't see the advantage in integrating the thermostat into a more complex system.