h a l f b a k e r yExpensive, difficult, slightly dangerous, not particularly effective... I'm on a roll.
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When I leave for a few days, I'd like an automated gizmo to open the blinds in the morning and close them at night. Photosensitive and battery operated.
Sensor Shade
http://www.sensorshade.com/index.htm
Dusk/dawn sensors and battery powered blind control. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004]
(?) X10 Home Automation
http://www.smarthom...Drapery_Controllers
Oh yeah. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004]
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This one's "baked". I hadn't heard of a battery-powered version, so I did a little checking and discovered that quite a few venetian blind websites are rather poorly designed.
These controls are nice, but for the very cool stuff, you want home automation. Press a button, your shades close, lights dim, TV turns on, and DVD plays. Of course your blinds can still operate for day/night cycles with this system. |
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In the next few years we will see increasing convergence of the home automation and traditional building controls sector (IMHO).
There are already large manufacturers (e.g. Schneider) who are beginning to design such systems for home use.
Coupled with the controls market employing (or at least attempting to employ) more open network protocols and developing TCP/IP browsing applications I anticipate a time when we could all *enjoy* a fully automated house controlled from a desktop icon.
Currently the cost of devices is mainly prohibitive, not to mention the cost of maintenence on what at the moment is a proprietary network.
Having said all that, I have worked on a couple of Penthouse Suite refurbishments that had all this: Sound, Lighting, Shades, Jacuzzi, 2 Chillers, Boiler, 4 Fan Coil Units and much more, all controlled by wireless touch screens. I wrote the interface between the sound, lighting and the Proprietary BMS controls. |
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