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Introduction
Robotics have many benefits for both personal and professional organisations, many of which are only now becoming apparent as we have moved from robotics as emerging technology to something which is a viable alternative to using humans for the same processes. The main catalyst of this change, of course, was the inclusion of linear actuators into the systems of robots as a matter of course. Linear actuator with feedback systems have enabled us to make robots which have precision and delicacy in their systems; rather than being solely able to apply certain levels of force to the task at hand, the linear actuators allow it be programmed for more delicate tasks, while the feedback systems allow the robots the means to determine for themselves what types of stimulation and delicacy is required.
Many changes made within a company, whether IT-based or procedural, fail to provide immediate cost savings and are more focused on a slow, steady return on Investment (ROI), however with RPA, benefits can nearly be recognized from the get-go.
Companies can often find themselves at the mercy of the market when making any significant changes to the way in which they run themselves – when they change things, there is almost inevitably a period of time where they lose money and custom because of the difficulties inherent in both keeping everything going and adjusting to the new status quo at the same time. Robotics can change that, since they follow their programming, rather than needing to be trained and watched until the training sinks in fully.
Infallibility
Robots are not subject to human fallibility, except when it comes to their programming, but even that is scrutinized by many different people before it is used in a robot. Particularly when it comes to assembly lines and other rote works, humans can become bored, or start to miss things they otherwise wouldn’t due to the monotony of the job. Robots do not become bored, and they do not miss things, which makes it logical to switch assembly line jobs and some security jobs over to them.
Accuracy
Robots can be far more accurate than humans, because of their ability to keep going for longer time periods with becoming tired or needing to have parts replaced (if good quality materials are used in the first place). The inclusion of robots in the workplace can therefore guarantee a stronger level of accuracy over a longer period of time, which can itself lead to a company gaining a reputation for accuracy and consistency within the wider community.
Reduced Risk
Having robots involved in business, particularly in industries such as heavy construction works and the likes, can cut down on the risk of injury and loss of life. Not only are robots far stronger than humans, they are less prone to injury and have less need of repair, since they are less easily damaged. The overall work process becomes more manageable for everyone involved, as robots can vastly simplify work which is done in many industries by simply being robots, and not becoming sick or injured.
The robust construction of robots means that they are less likely to cost the company for when they are not working, as they will not need much in the way of repairs, and of course never get sick or need time off for other reasons.
Interface
User Interface
User interface is the primary interface for end users. That is where the smart home owner gets and applies the effective management and control tools. intraHouse's user interface is designed to work on a great variety of devices and is accessible from a Web-browser. It means that you won’t need to install any software on your personal computer, tablet or smart phone. It also means that the user interface will be compatible with any operational system (Android, iOS , Linux, Mac OS X, Windows). It is designed keeping simplicity in mind and it's very user friendly. The system interface supports multiple access simultaneously and synchronizes across all devices in real time.
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| User Interface |
Installer Interface
Installer interface is intended for project and building managers and focuses mainly on system setup and settings. This panel consists of all the system settings and customization panes. It's fully customizable interface allows to perfectly fit control panels in the interior design, adjust the menu look, change pictographs etc. Any changes that are made in Project Manager will be saved on the server and become immediately accessible for all system users. Users can also apply various themes that comes along with it and customize it accordingly.
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| Installer Interface |
In the basic version of intraHouse system, three standard modes are available: Day, Night and Economy.
Normally those three modes, together with scenes, are enough to provide fully-featured energy efficient and comfortable management of a flat or a house.
You can adjust those three modes for other purposes. For example, you can have such modes as “Business Hours”, “Off Hours”, “Holidays”. For you summer house, you can have “Home”, “Away”, “In Conservation”.
Scenes
What is a scene? In a typical Smart Home system, a scene normally means a lighting scene.
In intraHouse system, the concept of Scene has a broader meaning: it means management of all devices in accordance with particular algorithms.
All devices in intraHouse system can operate without scenes: you can turn them on/off and watch the change in their condition.
System Structure
Functionally, intraHouse system comprises three main components: intraHouse.Server, intraHouse.Plugins and intraHouse.Apps
intraHouse.Server
It includes Kernel (the system’s core), Script Engine, Front Server (Web server), Back Server (communication with devices). intraHouse Server is based on Node.js platform.
intraHouse.Apps
intraHouse.Apps are front-end web applications that ensure visualization. These applications work on any devices with a web-browser: i.e., smart phones, tablets and computers. Modern TV sets also work with intraHouse system. They are implemented using HTML5, CSS3, jQuery, Socket.io and other technologies.
intraHouse.Plugins
Plugins are intended for connection of equipment of different manufacturers. They are drivers that link shortcuts in the interface with actual devices.
Live Demo
If you are interested in intraHouse's home automation package, you can check out the live demo of the interface here.
Sure, you can go the long way and write an app, read tons of documentation, take the time to learn new programming languages, code, code and code some more. But why invest so much time in prepping your project, when you can be up and running in a fraction of a time and building your automation projects in minutes.?
So how is this all possible? myDevices IoT Project Builder called Cayenne. Cayenne was created for developers and makers eager to quickly build and prototype amazing projects with their Raspberry Pis. With your free Cayenne account, you can create an unlimited amount of projects. You also have full-fledged IoT maker capabilities so you can remotely control sensors, motors, actuators, including GPIO boards. Unlimited storage of data collected by your hardware components, triggers and alerts that provide the tools you need for automation and the ability to set up threshold alerts. You can create custom dashboards to showcase your project with drag and drop widgets that are also fully customizable.
Care to see if for yourself? Check out the Cayenne set up video.
Flexible Dashboard
Customize your phone or online dashboard with drag and drop widgets.
Trigger Actions
Create triggers and alerts for devices, events, actions and more.
GPIO Control
Remote configure GPIO from a mobile app or dashboard.
Instant Remote Access
Automatically remote control and access your Pi from your phone or computer.
Easy Setup
Quickly connect your Pi to the Internet and hook up sensors, actuators, and extensions in minutes
If you looking to kick start your home automation project with Raspberry Pi Cayenne is a good place to start. You can join their beta program by clicking here.
They also have an active community where all Cayenne users can discuss their experiences, ask questions, report bugs, and request feature enhancements.
The prototype tablet can run Android 4.4 or Debian. However, any Linux distribution that is compatible with the motherboard of Raspberry Pi or ODROID can be installed.
Compatibility with Arduino is also planned for future releases.
For home automation users, a wall bracket and POE + power is also included for easy integration,
As of now, the project is not yet funded, but many indicators show that the demand is there, especially in the community of free home automation sector.
The project leader, Guillaume, is looking forward to your feedback survey, which is currently available at: http://goo.gl/forms/6GvKsm5OtL
Once a second prototype is ready, participatory financing (crowdfunding) will be implemented during 2016.
For details visit: www.diskiopi.com
The UniPi board is designed to fit on the cheap and easy to use Raspberry Pi mini computer. If has 8 changeover relays, 14 digital inputs, single channel 1-wire interface, 2 analog inputs 0-10V and one analog 0-10V output. Furthermore the second I2C port of the RPi features 5V level converter and ESD protection, so you can easily connect other devices. The same applies to the UART!
Does it have anything else that might be usable? Of course! It has Real Time Clock module so if your Pi looses power, the clock stays synced so when the system comes up, it will do everything as planned.
UniPi features:
- 8 relays
- 14 digital inputs
- 1Wire controller
- 2 analog inputs
- 1 analog output
- Real time clock
- EEPROM
What does it make?
Cool! So it has many ways to communicate with the real world. But what can I use it for?
Relays - The UniPi has 8 changeover relays which are able to switch up to 5A @ 230V. With that much power, you can easily switch lights, open doors and garage doors, control motors and many other cool stuff.
Digital Inputs - All of the 14 digital inputs of the UniPi is connected directly to the Raspberry Pi GPIO through an opto-isolation. With this, you can easily read 5-20V signals from your window sensors, alarm sensors, count consumption of your energy meters and basically everything that closes/opens contact. In addition to this the board has 12V power supply for easy input state reading so you don't need to buy expensive power supplies. Just use the one we've already provided!
Analog Inputs - Do you need to know, what power is certain device working at? Simple connect its 0-10V output to the UniPi and you are done!
Analog Output - But what if you need to control the performance of a device? Well we have solution even for this. With the analog 0-10V output, you can easily control output power of many different devices, such as motors, frequency changes,...
1Wire - And what about temperature? Can the UniPi read temperature? Of course! It features single channel 1wire interface so you can connect up to hundred of sensors to measure temperature and humidity!
