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💬General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: HA Dave on March 11, 2020, 09:12:08 AM

Title: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 11, 2020, 09:12:08 AM
Often the successful are merely those who recognize the normal cultural changes (known as paradigm shifts) and then react earlier than others.

All collages in the state (here) have closed for the remainder of the year, and some local public (K-12) schools are doing a "test closings" this coming Friday. The government has begun implementing known quarantine protocols AS-WELL-AS... developing new protocols (such as work-at-home).... and "OTHER" methods to limit human exposure (to other humans?). I believe... these new protocols will result in "permanent lifestyle changes".   

So I wonder with the Coronavirus (COVID-19)... seemingly looming just past the limits of my driveway (barely out of the detection of my car detecting magnetic probe)..... how will these possible... future events affect home automation. Or.... can Home Automation actually aid and assist with medically forced quarantine?

Sure.... I can make phone calls from my sickbed (or anywhere else in the house) by merely telling Alexa who to call. But Siri reacts very much the same way. I can raise or lower the homes temperature by telling Alexa (Nest) to do so as well. And I'd guess I could help emergency personnel enter the home via the garage door... if I added that capability to Alexa (currently I need to use my phone).

But (somehow?).... I believe my old brain is stuck in the old paradigm's of what Home Automation does... and what it could do. So has anyone else come up with ways to exploit possible changes.... within our Home Automation setups? 
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: bkenobi on March 11, 2020, 12:32:31 PM
Actually, I think HA can really help here.  I was the unfortunate recipient of a guest to my home who visited while I was away.  Turns out I forgot to provide a key, so they found an unlocked door in the back.  I never unlocked it, but the door jam shifted and allowed them to come in.  I guess I was away too long because they decided to leave before I got home.  If I had better HA, I would have made sure that the front door auto-closer was active so when they forgot to shut the door, it would have closed and locked itself.  I would have preferred the 2 back doors had a similar mechanism installed so I'll add that to the to-do list.  Since the issue was caused by not having remotely controllable dead bolts, that can be added to the list.  I do think a Roomba would have been nice at the time since my guests forgot to take their boots off and they tracked dirt around the house.  Perhaps something on my thermostat linked to the doors so it would know that the doors were open and not to kick the heat on full blast in January.

Actually, I think the best HA device that would be applicable here would have been what the responding officer explicitly said to NOT install.  I think a sentry type shotgun mounted near the entry door would be cool.  I've seen some testing performed with paintball guns that looks very promising.  The videos are a few years old now, so I imagine a shotgun or AR could be incorporated.  This would be great coupled with a Ring brand doorbell camera so you could politely request that the zombie corona-carrier respectfully leave the premises.  In movies they always have to cock the pump action shotgun prior to discharging so maybe that can be done with an audio element since you don't want to warn someone by dropping and wasting a round onto the ground.

I'll keep thinking about this and see what else I can come up with.  This is a great idea!   >!
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: petera on March 11, 2020, 12:53:36 PM
Actually, I think HA can really help here.  I was the unfortunate recipient of a guest to my home who visited while I was away.  Turns out I forgot to provide a key, so they found an unlocked door in the back.  I never unlocked it, but the door jam shifted and allowed them to come in.  I guess I was away too long because they decided to leave before I got home.  If I had better HA, I would have made sure that the front door auto-closer was active so when they forgot to shut the door, it would have closed and locked itself.  I would have preferred the 2 back doors had a similar mechanism installed so I'll add that to the to-do list.  Since the issue was caused by not having remotely controllable dead bolts, that can be added to the list.  I do think a Roomba would have been nice at the time since my guests forgot to take their boots off and they tracked dirt around the house.  Perhaps something on my thermostat linked to the doors so it would know that the doors were open and not to kick the heat on full blast in January.

Actually, I think the best HA device that would be applicable here would have been what the responding officer explicitly said to NOT install.  I think a sentry type shotgun mounted near the entry door would be cool.  I've seen some testing performed with paintball guns that looks very promising.  The videos are a few years old now, so I imagine a shotgun or AR could be incorporated.  This would be great coupled with a Ring brand doorbell camera so you could politely request that the zombie corona-carrier respectfully leave the premises.  In movies they always have to cock the pump action shotgun prior to discharging so maybe that can be done with an audio element since you don't want to warn someone by dropping and wasting a round onto the ground.

I'll keep thinking about this and see what else I can come up with.  This is a great idea!   >!

Definitely the way to go. Of course you could add an Alexa Door Bell Device with a three question security routine along the lines of the Google password recovery. Failure results in the deployment of a tazer like device that neutralizes the unwanted caller and little or no mess to clear upon your return. Use of a vapourizer could of course remove the need for any cleanup at all and any awkward questions
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 11, 2020, 10:09:06 PM
……. I was the unfortunate recipient of a guest to my home who visited while I was away. 

What a bummer!

Security has always been a major segment of Home Automation. I am not sure by your post/reply/rant/satire whether your home security failed.... or if it was something you haven't considered or gotten around to installing. X10 (in it's hay-day) was a major player in DIY security alarms. There is great knowledge in the old threads about such things.

My step-daughter was robbed years ago. I know what she went through. Sorry for your misfortune. 
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 11, 2020, 10:34:34 PM
...… Of course you could add an Alexa Door Bell Device with a three question security routine along the lines of the Google password recovery. Failure results in the deployment of a tazer like device that neutralizes the unwanted caller and little or no mess to clear upon your return.

The movement and/or "person detection" cameras.... are an excellent means of detection... that can also serve as prevention.

Years (and years) ago I used an X10 floodlight motion detector to trigger an outdoor speaker that announced the presence of "Off-site video monitoring". It worked as well as elephant repellent. It wasn't my original idea.
The idea came from dave w who back in late 80's or early 90's, before Windows had a speech engine, I used a MAC SE running "XTension" for verbal announcements triggered by X10 PLC commands.

The same setup can be recreated today (literally this very day) with a ring floodlight (from Home Depot) and almost any of the Echo devices wire to an outdoor speaker.

But an old-fashion (modern-day) system with a few cameras, motion sensors, and alarmed windows and doors are standard fare for most people now-a-days. Weaponizing a home? I don't think so.


Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 11, 2020, 10:41:59 PM
So... no imagination, ideas?

We used to think Computer nerds and geeks were (mostly) guys... who had a software/hardware solution for every problem. And there was a time when I thought many Home Automation enthusiasts saw HA solutions on the other-side of most problems.

Wondering.... are there any automated person scanners for temperature? 
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: bkenobi on March 12, 2020, 11:12:39 AM
I thought the sentry idea was pretty good.  Petera added that a vaporizer would take care of the infected matter so no COVID-19 worries.  We even have collaboration here!
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: petera on March 12, 2020, 11:19:07 AM
I thought the sentry idea was pretty good.  Petera added that a vaporizer would take care of the infected matter so no COVID-19 worries.  We even have collaboration here!

Well @bkenobi looks like Home Assistant is indeed on top of the situation. I’ll wait until I return to base before trying this PI https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/coronavirus/
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: Tuicemen on March 12, 2020, 12:10:17 PM
Actualy retrieving that info can be done inside a GH widget if one wished. I doubt it is to difficult to setup
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 12, 2020, 12:11:22 PM
Well @bkenobi looks like Home Assistant is indeed on top of the situation. I’ll wait until I return to base before trying this PI https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/coronavirus/

Good Catch! Those with Alexa can exploit a new skill: 

Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: Tuicemen on March 12, 2020, 01:18:41 PM
There are even a few special RSS feeds for updates.
I just tested this in HG with the RSS Reader I'm working on.
Some supply more info then others. ::) :'
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: Tuicemen on March 12, 2020, 04:09:20 PM
I thought the sentry idea was pretty good.  Petera added that a vaporizer would take care of the infected matter so no COVID-19 worries.  We even have collaboration here!

Well @bkenobi looks like Home Assistant is indeed on top of the situation. I’ll wait until I return to base before trying this PI https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/coronavirus/
Actualy retrieving that info can be done inside a GH widget if one wished. I doubt it is to difficult to setup
yep simple edit to my magweb program and widget gets me the covid-19 stats that was fun.
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: dave w on March 14, 2020, 10:30:37 AM
I was the unfortunate recipient of a guest to my home who visited while I was away. 
FWIW
If we are not home and a motion sensor gets triggered, Homeseer fires up all the wireless speakers in and out of the house with a series of announcements : "This is the voice of home control. The home has been breached. Authorities are being summoned. Video recordings are being made...". etc. etc. etc. With the coup de gras being " Infra-red lasers are armed at 45 percent for maximum eye damage".

Years ago I glued a mirror on the stereo speaker and bounced an old HeNe sighting laser off the mirror. Painted great, bright, Lissajous patterns on the wall. I might try to resurrect that effect with laser pointers just to enhance pucker factor.

Hey if you are trying to scare, take it all the way.  <wink>

 
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: brobin on March 14, 2020, 10:40:28 AM
Change the recording to "Warning, this home is infected with coronavirus!" That'll get them running. >!
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: beelocks on March 14, 2020, 12:21:53 PM
Who had the Halloween flamethrower?
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 14, 2020, 03:10:28 PM
Who had the Halloween flamethrower?

That was nightrider
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 14, 2020, 03:29:54 PM
….. If we are not home and a motion sensor gets triggered, Homeseer fires up all the wireless speakers in and out of the house with a series of announcements : "This is the voice of home control. The home has been breached. Authorities are being summoned. Video recordings are being made...". etc. etc. etc.

I like that!

I miss the time/posts that the forum once used to deal with intrusion issues. I still prefer making the most efforts to restrict entry into the home. For many (most?) the turmoil, stress (and expense) are eliminated if the break-in is a failure. There isn't anything sexy or cool about landscaping trimmed back from windows and doors, strong doors and windows that resist prying, and breakage resistant films on glass.

I am also a big fan and decade-long user..... of your outside voice warning idea. That was/is the kind of creative use of automation tech I am always looking for.
Title: Re: COVID-19 and Home Automation
Post by: HA Dave on March 21, 2020, 07:39:25 PM
Leave it to the staff at Amazon. Just ask Alexa to:  "Sing a song for 20 seconds".