121+ Home automation ideas (2023 edition)

Home automation is no longer a thing of the future, it’s a reality of today. From controlling the lights and temperature with your voice to monitoring your home security from anywhere, the possibilities are endless. With the advancements in technology, there has never been a better time to upgrade your home with best home automation ideas. In this article, we’ll be exploring 121 innovative home automation ideas for the year 2023, covering everything from energy efficiency to convenience and security. Whether you’re looking to make your home smarter, more efficient, or simply more enjoyable to live in, this article has got you covered. So sit back, grab a notebook, and get ready to discover how you can transform your home into a futuristic abode.

Light Automation Ideas

1. Voice control – activate lighting, heating, and cooling systems with a simple voice command.
2. Scene setting – set different moods in a room with just one touch of a button.
3. Energy conservation – have your automation system adjust lighting and heating/cooling based on energy usage patterns.
4. Outdoor security – have lights turn on when motion is detected outside of your home, or when the alarm is triggered.
5. Task lighting – automatically adjust the brightness of task lighting, such as under-cabinet lights, based on the time of day and the amount of natural light in the room.
6. Night lighting – have a low level of light turn on in hallways and bathrooms during the night for safety.
7. Remote control – control all of your home’s lighting, heating, and cooling from your smartphone or tablet.
8. Smart plugs – control non-smart devices, such as lamps, with your automation system.
9. Wake up to light – gradually increase the brightness of your lights in the morning to help you wake up naturally.
10. Mood lighting – change the color of your lights to create different moods and ambiances in your home.
11. Energy monitoring – keep track of your energy usage and adjust your lighting and heating/cooling accordingly to reduce waste.
12. Holiday lighting – automatically turn on holiday lights at specific times or with a touch of a button.
13. Timers – set your lights, heating, and cooling to turn on and off at specific times to save energy.
14. Dim to off – have your lights slowly fade to off instead of just turning off abruptly.
15. Party lighting – set up a “Party” scene that automatically adjusts lighting, music, and heating/cooling to create a festive atmosphere is one of the great home automation ideas.
16. Night mode – have your lights turn on at a low level when entering a room at night, to avoid disturbing others.
17. Daylight sensing – automatically adjust lighting levels based on the amount of natural light in a room.
18. Light grouping – control multiple lights with just one touch of a button.
19. Room-specific lighting – set lighting levels for each individual room in your home.
20. Task lighting – have task lighting, such as under-cabinet lights, turn on automatically when a room is in use.
21. Smart bulbs – control the brightness, color, and temperature of your lights with just a touch of a button.
22. Adaptive lighting – automatically adjust lighting levels based on the time of day, the weather, and other factors.
23. Smart switches – control your lights and other devices with just a touch of a switch.
24. Color changing lights – change the color of your lights to create different moods and ambiances in your home.
25. Light scheduling – set your lights to turn on and off at specific times, even when you’re away from home.
26. Outdoor lighting – control your outdoor lights and landscape lighting with your automation system.
27. Automated dimming (circadian lighting) – have your lights dim automatically based on the time of day, natural light levels, and other factors is another best home automation ideas.
28. Scene setting – set different lighting scenes, such as “Reading” or “Movie Watching,” with just a touch of a button.

Smart Fan Home Automation Ideas

1. Voice control – control your fan speed, direction, and on/off with voice commands by installing Smart Fan Automation.
2. Smart switches – control your existing fans with a touch of a smart switch.
3. Timers – set your fan to turn on and off at specific times, even when you’re away from home.
4. Room-specific control – control the fan in each individual room in your home.
5. Adaptive cooling – automatically adjust fan speed based on room temperature and other factors is one of the cool home automation ideas.
6. Remote control – control your fan from your smartphone or tablet.
7. Scene setting – set different fan settings, such as “Sleep” or “Cool Down,” with just a touch of a button.

Smart Security Ideas

1. Have the security system send a notification to your phone if it detects a window has been opened or broken.
2. Set up an alarm that goes off if motion is detected in specific areas of your home during designated “unoccupied” times.
3. Automatically turn on exterior lights and increase surveillance camera recording when your home security system is armed.
4. Have the security system send a notification to your phone if it detects any unusual activity, such as a door being left open for an extended period of time is one of the secure home automation ideas.
5. Have the security system send a notification to your phone if it detects any fire or smoke in your home.
6. Set up a panic button on your smart security system that quickly triggers an alarm and alerts authorities.
7. Automatically lock all doors and windows when the security system is armed.
8. Set up an alarm that sounds if motion is detected in your home during designated “unoccupied” times.
9. Have the security system send a notification to your phone if it detects a water leak in your home.
10. Use facial recognition technology to allow access to your home only to authorized individuals.
11. Have the security system send a notification to your phone if it detects any carbon monoxide or gas leaks in your home.
12. Automatically turn on exterior lights and increase surveillance camera recording when the front door is unlocked.
13. Set up a smart lock with a keyless entry system to prevent unauthorized access to your home.
14. Have the security system send a notification to your phone if it detects any intrusion attempts.
15. Set up a panic button on your smart phone or tablet to instantly trigger an alarm and send notifications to designated emergency contacts.
16. Automatically arm your security system when you leave the house and disarm it when you return, using GPS tracking from your smart phone is one of the secure home automation ideas.
17. Receive real-time notifications when windows or doors are opened, or when motion is detected inside your home.
18. Enable two-factor authentication for added security, requiring a secondary form of authentication, such as a security code, before accessing your smart security system.
19. Set up geofencing, so that your security system automatically arms or disarms based on your location and proximity to your home.
20. Automatically turn on exterior lights when motion is detected, to deter intruders and improve visibility.
21. Integrate your smart security system with your home automation system, allowing you to control lights, locks, and cameras from a single interface.
22. Schedule security system status updates, so you can receive daily or weekly notifications on system activity and system health.
23. Create custom security profiles, allowing different levels of access and control for different users.
24. Integrate your smart security system with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, for voice-controlled security.
25. Enable remote access to your security cameras, so you can view live video feeds from anywhere, at any time.

Smart Locks Home Automation Ideas

1. Automatically unlock the door when you arrive home with geofencing technology is one of the great home automation ideas.
2. Remotely lock and unlock your door with your smartphone.
3. Share access to your home with family and friends by giving them virtual keys.
4. Receive notifications when someone enters or exits your home.
5. Automatically lock the door after a certain amount of time has passed.
6. Use voice commands to lock and unlock your door with a smart speaker.
7. Integrate with other smart home devices, such as cameras and lights, to enhance security is one of the good home automation ideas .
8. Create a temporary access code for guests or delivery persons.
9. Set a tamper alert to notify you if someone tries to force the lock.
10. Enable auto-relock if the door is accidentally left unlocked.

Smart Curtain Home Automation Ideas

1. Automatically open and close curtains based on the time of day and sunlight levels is one of the best home automation ideas.
2. Control curtains remotely with a smartphone or voice assistant.
3. Create a scene to open and close curtains at a certain time each day.
4. Schedule curtains to open and close gradually for a more natural wake-up or bedtime experience.
5. Set curtains to automatically open or close when certain events occur, such as a motion sensor being triggered.
6. Use curtains to create a smart blackout system to block out light and reduce noise.
7. Automatically close curtains when it starts to rain, protecting furniture and carpets is one good home automation ideas when you care your home and love protecting it.
8. Control multiple sets of curtains in different rooms using one app.
9. Use curtains to enhance security/ by closing them when you’re away from home.
10. Use curtains to adjust the temperature in your home, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

IR Blaster Home Automation Ideas

1. Use IR Blaster to control all your home theatre components (TV, cable box, sound system) with one device.
2. Program IR Blaster to turn off all electronics in your living room with the touch of a button is one of the best home automation ideas.
3. Automatically adjust the volume on your TV and sound system when receiving a phone call.
4. Create a “Movie Time” scene that turns on your TV, cable box, sound system, and dims your lights with one button press is great when you think of home automation ideas.
5. Use IR Blaster to turn on/off multiple lights in different rooms with one button press.
6. Set your air conditioning to turn on automatically when you press the “Movie Time” scene in the Toyama WizHom app.
7. Use IR Blaster to control multiple smart home devices, such as a smart coffee maker or smart oven.
8. Control your smart home security system with an IR Blaster, including turning on the alarm and disarm it.
9. Turn off all electronics in your bedroom with one touch of a button for a better night’s sleep.
10. Program IR Blaster to control your smart home music system, including adjusting volume, skipping songs, and changing playlists.
11. Use IR Blaster to turn on your home theatre components and start streaming a movie with just one button press.
12. Set IR Blaster to turn off all electronics in your home after a certain amount of time has passed.

Motion Sensor Ideas

1. Turn on lights automatically when motion is detected in a room.
2. Trigger an alarm when motion is detected in a secure area.
3. Turn off lights when a room has been vacant for some time.
4. Start a cleaning cycle for a robotic vacuum when motion is detected in the room.
5. Send a notification to your phone when motion is detected in your home.
6. Control your smart blinds or curtains to open or close when motion is detected.
7. Turn on a smart fan when motion is detected in a room.
8. Start a video recording on your security camera when motion is detected.
9. Adjust your smart thermostat to a more energy-efficient setting when no motion is detected in the room.
10. Turn on an outdoor light when motion is detected on your property.
11. Trigger a smart door lock to re-check and re-lock automatically when motion is detected outside the door at a time when no one is expected is best home automation ideas one can think.
12. Have your smart lights change colour to a brighter light when motion is detected in the room.

Temperature Sensor Ideas

1. Automatically turn on the air conditioning when the temperature exceeds a certain limit is one of the best home automation ideas.
2. Automatically turn on the heating when the temperature drops below a certain limit.
3. Trigger a fan to turn on when the temperature rises above a certain limit.
4. Trigger an alert or message to be sent when the temperature in a certain room exceeds a certain limit.

Door Contact Sensors

1. When the door is opened, turning on the lights in the room or hallway is one of the best home automation ideas.
2. Use a door contact sensor to trigger a smart home security system.
3. Set up a door contact sensor to trigger a smart camera to start recording.
4. Use a door contact sensor to turn off the lights in a room when the door is closed, which helps in saving energy.

Case study of Toyama smart home automation products in a villa in Damac Hills, Dubai 

DAMAC Hills, Dubai

Over the last decade, luxury has been constantly redefined by the global real estate industry. Global trends in technology, design, art, and architecture have paved the way for new paradigms to form and shape the future of luxury homes all over the world. 

One such emergence at the turn of this decade has been the increasing adoption of smart home technology in luxury home projects. The smart home market is expected to grow to over USD 200 billion by the end of 2030, stemming from what seems to be a demand in spaces with high fidelity and utility.

A Trailblazer in Dubai

One such project in the constantly evolving real-estate landscape of the UAE is DAMAC Hills, a well-established self-contained community comprising villas, apartments, and luxury hotels. Home to the Trump International Golf Club Dubai, it boasts nearly four million square feet of parkland offering various themed areas for relaxation and sports – including restful gardens and lakes, a skate park, stables, football field, tennis courts, and more.

An exclusive selection of DAMAC Hills luxury villas has integrated state-of-the-art installations and solutions from Toyama Control Solutions making them a unique smart home offering to this elite community of homeowners.

Smart Home Automation that Redefines Luxury

Smart Switches, Sensors and Curtain Controls

The entire villa has been suited with Toyama’s range of glass touch panels, a unique product offering a feature-rich experience while complementing elegant interior designs. Employing multi-zone controls for lighting with smart dimmers across living rooms and bedrooms allows for setting the right ambiance every time. ‍

With motion sensor-controlled lighting for wardrobes and bathrooms, most day-to-day activities have been made hands-free and energy-efficient. Using multi-zone motor-driven curtain controllers, the villa residents can choose complete privacy or allow to flood their living space with life and light with the touch of a button. 

One-Touch Scene Panels

Scene controller panels have been included across the residence allowing one-touch activation of mood/scene settings such as party, night-time, power saving, etc. Adding continuity to design elements throughout the villa, Toyama has also replaced many of the traditional 2-way switches and thermostat controls with sleek touch panel counterparts. 

State-of-the-art Home Automation Technology

Completely integrated and controlled by coupling a Zigbee network and Toyama’s T-Gate automation ecosystem this multi-floor abode has been designed to echo the thought “luxury is comfort and convenience” This unique setup brings advanced features like voice(Alexa and Google Home) and WizHome app control to all devices and apparels on the network allowing complete home automation, setting of routines and remote control with ease. 

Versatile Products, Robust Manufacturing

High endurance ratings, robust manufacturing processes, and certified installations using advanced quality checks have made Toyama’s smart home suite a hassle-free, energy-efficient solution to the modern-day occupants of these luxury villas. OTA updates and on-call technical assistance guarantee that homeowners receive real-time upgrades and feature-rich experiences, always. 

Keeping the Right Company

In an era where time is an increasingly rare commodity, luxury is experienced through seamless convenience. Smart home solutions have become a gold standard offering in luxury homes catering to a community that values privacy, comfort, elegance and finesse all at once. 

We are Toyama Controls understand luxury better than most. Our clientele includes happy homeowners from across Asia and the Middle East, who have put their trust in our wide range of quality products and reliable services. Come partner with us at Toyama Controls in redefining luxury for your homes, one switch at a time. 

A modern implementation of home automation solutions in a villa residence in Bangalore, India

A Home Automation Dream In Bangalore

After many months of contemplation, meticulous planning, and consideration you have committed to the idea of building that palatial dream home of yours. You are convinced that no expense will be spared and this house must be adorned with the finest luxury and comforts that will leave you wanting for nothing. After weeks of deliberation, your architect has delivered on all fronts and you can fully visualize this dream, smell the fresh paint and feel the warmth of your home inviting you in. But then you stop and think “This is the 21st century! Where is the magic? Where is that wow factor? Where is the tech?” 

Most often, modern-day homeowners are oblivious to the wonders that technology can infuse into their homes. Unable to look beyond large LED TVs, surround sound systems, or double door fridges with ice dispensers, these houses soon become a dull experience failing to excite your senses while not helping you win any bragging rights. But a discerning few do their research and stumble across the fantastic and marvelous advent of smart home automation. 

Building Mr. Amaresan’s Smart Home

Unwilling to settle for the ordinary and wanting the most modern outlook and features for his family’s dream home, Mr. Amaresan needed to partner with home automation experts in Bangalore. Toyama Controls stepped in and took on this task to deliver complete home automation solutions for his sprawling and luxurious 4-floor, 4 BHK villa located in Hennur, Bangalore. With a promise to make his home future-ready and ‘tech’quip it the right way Toyama set out to deliver its best work yet, and deliver we did!

Finding the Right Solutions

Unlike hotel room automation or automating standard apartment complex units, a smart home villa is all about the specifics. Understanding why the homeowner wants to automate an appliance or include a feature is key to ensuring that we are delivering all the conveniences that come with automation while not going overboard. 

Mr. Amaresan’s home, a 4-floor structure, had a pronounced requirement for remote access to its users from anywhere. Not having to traverse multiple floors to simply turn on/off a light or heater adds a great level of convenience to the living space especially in a day-to-day setting. With each floor housing one bedroom and one other feature, the need to personalize each floor to be user-specific(children, elderly, guests) and utility-specific became a logical choice. 
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The swimming pool, gym, and home theatres also offered an opportunity to add utility and sophistication to the decor and Toyama rose to the challenge. 

Using Technology like Magic

Taking into account the multi-floor setup of the home and the vast number of devices that would eventually come onto the grid, Toyama employed Control4’s EA1 controller. Being the brain of the home automation this controller would ensure that every task/command sent to it from various control devices be it Toyama’s WizHome app, switches, IR remotes or voice commands would be executed with no lags and high efficiencies. Furthermore, these controllers are compatible with smart devices like home theatres, projectors, and TVs from multiple technology brands allowing users to access deep features from within Toyama’s ecosystem which would otherwise require using device-specific remotes or physical buttons.

Pairing the controller with Toyama’s T-Gate system enabled this entire home automation grid to go online, effectively making it a vine of IoTs and allowing for seamless remote access from anywhere for multiple users, simultaneously. This also allows every switch in this setup to be controlled remotely using voice assistants like Alex and Google Assistant. Building a T-Mesh using Zigbee switches paved a robust system that comes with built-in fail-safes and reducing the requirement and dependency of wi-fi systems on each floor. 

On Different Levels – Smart Switches, Sensors & Scenes

Starting off at the ground floor with the living and dining spaces, Toyama employed an integrated, sleek, 6-module touch panel to control lighting and dimming along with curtain controllers for motor-driven opening and closing of window curtains. Considering this would also be the floor that would be used to entertain guests etc it was also equipped with a 4 scene touch panel that can be programmed for various modes and scenes. 

The first floor houses one more living space and a bedroom mirroring the automation setup of that in the ground floor with lighting, dimming, and curtain controls. Additionally, the bathroom in this(and other floors) have been equipped with motion sensors for automatic lighting depending on occupancy. This would help avoid unnecessary energy consumption when these spaces are not in use and brings a rather unique feature to the home which is otherwise only found in commercial spaces. The passages leading to each room on every floor also have been equipped with lighting and programmed scene panels allowing the occupants on each floor to set the scene with a single touch. 

The Pool – Light Dimming Controls

The swimming pool which is located on the second floor(along with the 2nd bedroom) presented the opportunity for a glass touch panel with dimming controls. Apart from offering better hygiene, safety, and ease of maintenance under predominantly wet conditions, the dimming action could be the perfect feature to help mirror the mood of the person using the pool. Be it a lazy soak in the pool after a long day under dim lights or a few heart-racing laps during a workout under a bright and invigorating setting, Toyama had this covered.

Home Theatre Room – Smart Media Control Hub

Dedicated home theatre setups are parcels of pride for every homeowner. While even a rudimentary setup never fails to wow guests and family, a well-thought arrangement with the right bells and whistles can drop jaws and have you beaming with joy as the adulation pours in. 

Enter Matterlink from Control4, a device that can communicate simultaneously with multiple devices which depend on IR or RF for control inputs. This device, located on the 3rd floor of Mr. Amaresans home theatre room takes away the need to reach for 4 different remotes, one each for the AC, TV, sound system, and projector every time he wants to settle in and watch his favorite flick. Integrated with Toyama’s home automation ecosystem, this allows his family to access all of these from the comfort of any phone or a dedicated touch device like an Ipad or tablet that can become the home theatre’s control panel along with controls to the lighting, curtains etc. The family can just sit back, relax and let the wonders of technology pamper them on movie night. Oh! Someone still needs to make that tub of hot popcorn though(as of now) but Toyama has everything else covered.

Gym and Master Bedroom – Design & Durability 

Nestled away cozily on the 4th floor are the master bedroom and a gym. Being the main feature of this particular floor, the bedroom was fitted out with sleek multi-function touch panel switches to control the lighting, dimming, and curtains. This bedroom’s paneling was given special attention to match decor and design, an easy feat for Toyama, given the wide range of customization options that are on offer. The other feature on this floor, the gym, was equipped with light control panels and high-capacity power switch panels to support the power rating of gym equipment. 

Get Smart, Talk to the Experts

Dream homes are just that and sometimes more. They are a reflection of yourself and embody years of wishful thinking. When done with taste, dedication, and the right partnerships, the results can go on to meet your every expectation and go beyond. It’s important that it’s done perfectly the first time as there is little scope for do-overs. 

If you are planning your dream home, reach out to us at Toyama Controls. We can help add a little magic to that dream of yours because we believe that everyone deserves their happily ever after!

Hotel room automation solutions installed in Goldfinch Retreat and Fortune Inn Valley. A walk-through of the advantages in hospitality projects.

Hotel Automation Solutions At Goldfinch Retreat, Fortune Inn Valley View Hotels

If you’ve been on a holiday or business trip in recent times(with the world gradually opening up again), no one would fault you for saying the ‘stay’ wasn’t the most memorable part of the trip. Despite most business and luxury hotels offering a plethora of options and facilities to indulge most travelers, a hotel stay tends to remain an interlude in an adventure. A place to go back to after a long day of travel, sightseeing, or meetings, simply to unwind, relax and get some shut-eye.

The Smart Advantages of Automation in Hospitality

With a heavy focus on customer experience, some hotels which aim to remain a cut above the rest are constantly tweaking the in-room experience, making them the USP of the stay. From age-old practices like minibars, fruit platters, and pantries to more modern ones like immersive entertainment units, high-speed internet, smart room controls, etc. these value additions have slowly captured the fancy of the starry-eyed wanderer and practical business traveler alike. 

Hotel automation technology has been slowly becoming mainstream in India. Apart from offering certain conveniences and increased accessibility, smart hotel room automation can help bring operational efficiencies to the business, through a reduction in energy consumptions, increased safety and hygiene and cost-effective upgrades. 

Goldfinch Retreat, Bengaluru

Goldfinch Retreat, offering a 4-star experience is one of Bengaluru’s finest luxury destinations. Located within 7 km from Bangalore International Airport and nestled in an oasis of 36 acres of sprawling landscape and manicured lawns, Goldfinch Retreat gives an escape in nature along with top-notch amenities.

Toyama’s Guest Room Management Solutions(GRMS)

In a recent upgrade Goldfinch Retreat employing Toyama’s Guest Room Management Solutions(GRMS) has enhanced the in-room experience for its guests. By swapping out traditional bedside switch controls for sleek glass touch panelswith multi-zone access, guests now have an intuitive user interface to lights and fixtures in the main living space without having to guess the corresponding switch to an appliance. One bedside touch panel comes integrated with service keys for privacy, laundry and housekeeping which are indicated on the corresponding room’s corridor panels. 

Tailormade Smart Automation Solutions

Customized with the hotel’s logo the corridor panel system comes with an illuminated room number display, touch capacitive doorbell and integrated service status indicators(privacy, laundry and housekeeping). The room number illumination doubles up as an indicator of the occupancy status that is read from the state of the RFID key card slot placed at the entrance to the room. To keep the rooms aesthetics in a continuum Toyama’s Zeycan line of ultra-thin and easy to maintain modular switches have been used throughout choosing color schemes that complement the decor of the room and the decals of the touch panels.

These upgrades have helped breathe a fresh air of life into Goldfinch Retreat’s array of suites and rooms in the property bringing both utility and stylistic enhancements while leaving a lasting impression on their guests to come. 

Fortune Inn Valley View, Manipal

For a discerning hotel, upgrades and facelifts can help redefine customer experience while remaining within budget. Once again Toyama’s GRMS came into play in such a setting at Fortune Inn Valley View, Manipal a premium, full-service business hotel that features 68 well-appointed rooms and comes with a contemporary ambiance and thoughtful modern amenities. 

In a timeline synced across the hotel’s renovation plans, Toyama, using installation methods suitable for shorter turnaround times, has retrofitted the rooms and suites with a 7 key bedside touch panel system along with a corridor panel featuring a capacitive touch doorbell. These have been integrated with RFID key card readers and service status indicators for housekeeping services and privacy. These modern-day upgrades have helped revamp the over 10-year-old property giving it a new look and feel altogether.

The Larger Picture

Considering a hotel’s relevance in a competitive landscape relies closely on constant upgrades and feature additions, business owners and industry experts are steadily transitioning towards hotel room automation and smart solutions such as Toyama’s GRMS. While offering a wide spectrum of functional and aesthetic advantages, these solutions can be attuned to budgets both big and small. 

The trick lies in finding the right mix or range of elements and addressing the most desired features of the guests. Here is where Toyama Controls can step in and collaborate. With over 5000 successfully completed installations across India and a dedicated and experienced team of business managers, engineers and technicians, Toyama can help build customized solutions for your business’s needs while factoring in costs, operational hurdles and guest experience. 

If you are looking to give your hotel that well-deserved upgrade, remember, the right solutions are just a call away, always!

A showcase of Toyama smart home solutions in the Swarovski residential towers Amanora Builder Projects

Luxury real estate and its ownership is increasingly being driven by novelty features like smart appliances, connected homes, IoTs and energy saving systems. Smart home solutions have become the new USP similar to club houses, gyms and infinity pools from the past.  This has convinced modern day developers and promoters to make them a niche offering to the urban elite. 

If you are in the market, looking to buy your next home on prime real estate, with a flourish of luxurious interiors, modern day amenities and a brand that spells reliability then you would have definitely come across a veritable bouquet from the house of Amanora. 

Amongst their more recent projects and the crown jewel of their collection is Amanora Gateway Towers 1, the world’s first residential towers marvelled by Swarovski. Embellishing Pune’s skyline and located in Hadapsar, the 45-storey towers stand tall at 150 meters making them the tallest residential towers in the city, offering 2, 3, 4 & 5 BHK state of the art luxury apartments. This hallmark of luxury is a part of Amanora’s smart township project – Amanora Park Townsprawling across 400 acres of lush greenery and meticulously planned infrastructure.

Toyama Smart Home Solutions

‍Driven by a vision to offer unparalleled comfort and luxury to modern day home owners, Amanora in partnership with Toyama Control Systems has endeavored to make these beautiful dwellings smart, uberchic and technologically flaunt-worthy. With a slew of automated, touch and voice controlled installations these apartments are taking the experience of home ownership to whole new levels of sophistication. 

All the Bells and Whistles

‍Walk into a showcase Amanora Gateway Towers 1’s 3BHK unit and you are welcomed into the living space by an elegant display of flush wall panel complete with Toyama’s Humfree fan control technology. These multi-module touch panelsallow seamless control of fans, lights and connected appliances in multiple zones of the living room, replacing outdated ceramic/plastic switches and regulators that have traditionally dorned walls in the past. 

Each one of the bedrooms too have been fitted with similar panels making convenience and luxury a holistic presence throughout the entire home. The touch panel units, being IR enabled, additionally offer control of connected appliances through a sleek remote that is cross functional throughout the home. 

Amanora homes have also been given additional layers of personalization through Toyama’s scene panels. This nifty little panel allows customized scenes/moods such as party, night, relax etc that set the state of everything that is connected to your preference all across the house with a single touch. 
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Voice and App Control

‍Toyamas home control setup in Amanora Gateway Towers comes replete with a TGate Home Automation hub allowing homeowners to remotely control appliances/devices using Toyama’s Wizhome app. Want to go handsfree? Enter voice control. Toyama’s automation hub integrates seamlessly with smart assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant allowing control of devices on the home grid using simple voice commands.

Convenience, Finesse and Beyond

Smart homes like Amanora Gateway Towers offer many more value propositions to home beyond convenience, technology and style. There is an additional aspect of these homes being environment friendly, helping save energy in smart and efficient ways. Home automation allows scheduling and remote usage of devices and appliances to match your everyday routines. Low power consumption modes while on vacation, reduced power consumption during the night through presets are additional features that can weigh in positively while investing in luxury homes such as these. 

To today’s young and discerning home buyer smart homes go beyond luxury to help them do their bit for the planet and they seem to love it!

The Early Bird

‍Amanora’s adoption of Toyama’s smart home solution has been garnering a lot of interest amongst prospective home buyers. The evident wow factor helps light up both smiles and homes during visits from clients. With a market that is ripe with opportunities for both buyers and developers, early adoption during design and concept stages can pave the way for ease of implementation of such technology making such developments both cost and value friendly. The future of homes will be smart.

The hospitality industry and property owners must understand that a lot of things about travel have changed drastically in the Covid-19 era much like everything else. This is where the game changing Toyama GRMS Contactless Solutions with its TouchArt switches comes into picture

The hospitality industry has been undoubtedly one of the hardest-hit sectors since the onset of  COVID-19. But, it is also one of those industries which is on its path to a fast recovery. So as people pull down all those itineraries which were shelved last year and repack their bags to travel in the new normal way, the industry must ask itself – how can it ensure that its guests have a memorable experience without having to compromise on safety? 
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The hospitality industry and property owners  must understand that a lot of things about travel have changed drastically in the Covid-19 era much like everything else. Sanitized surroundings and contactless experiences are now one of the most sought after filters for booking hotel rooms. The hospitality industry must  adapt fast and make changes to ensure that their guests find the experience that they are looking for and this means reducing contact as much as possible. This is where the game changing Toyama GRMS Solutions with its TouchArt switches comes into picture. Controlling lights, room temperature, curtains, service buttons, etc in hotel rooms can be made contactless with these switches, thereby making hotel experiences safe and hygienic.
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Toyama GRMS Solutions

Toyama GRMS Solutions with its tried and tested technology and over 5000 installations, ensures that not just guests, but the hotel staff too have a contactless experience. Choose what suits you best from our range of technology – Toyama Proprietary T-mesh technology, Zigbee and Wi-fi. Toyama GRMS Solutions is a favorite amongst premium players in the hospitality industry like The Taj, Hilton, Radisson Blu, Holiday Inn, Club Mahindra, Conrad, etc.
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Toyama GRMS Solutions, helps you pamper your guests. A single sleek glass panel which is conveniently placed can serve all their needs. From the comfort of their beds, your guests can turn on/off lights, dim lights, open/close curtains, switch on/off other appliances like TV, control temperature of their rooms etc. A service panel with call buttons for housekeeping, room service, laundry etc can be installed to impress your guests with prompt services. Glass panels with simple icons and labels offer an intuitive experience and eliminates all confusion about which switch does what. The glass panels can be customized to match the room decor making them blend in seamlessly. 

Modular Sockets

Modular switches and sockets with the same finish as touch controls can be installed along with customised laser engraving for quick recognition. Before welcoming the next guests, the glass panel controls and switches can be easily cleaned and sanitized. For  contactless experiences, other control options like the Toyama App are available which makes Toyama GRMS Solutions ideal to use in the present times. Exposure of the guests as well as the hotel cleaning staff to potential infections from contaminated surfaces can thus be avoided.

Operating these simple yet sophisticated switches are only as difficult as using your smartphones, and hence almost effortless. The installation of these switches is as easy as their operation. To meet the ever-changing requirements of the Covid-19 era, retrofits & replacements can be easily done for existing properties . So let’s give safe, happy, and contactless experiences to all those itineraries that are about to come tumbling down the shelves! 

The role of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant in smart home automation, their features and advantages.

ACING SMART LIVING WITH VOICE-CONTROLLED SMART HOMES

“Your wish is my command.” says not the genie, but your Alexa, Google Home Assistant and the likes (who by the way are no less than genies). The presence and roles of virtual assistants in our lives have become so significant, that we cannot stress enough. With more and more smart home devices available which are compatible with Amazon Echo, connected homes along with Amazon Echo are transforming our lives one command at a time. But, we do have a lot of questions about our virtual assistants and how they can make our lives better. And who better to ask than Alexa herself? Come, let’s ask away!

ALEXA, WHO ARE YOU?

Hey there! Glad you stopped by! I am your virtual assistant, your cloud-based AI. I can help you with a thing or two, anytime you are game. Get organized, or be surprised, just say my name. I have got timers, reminders, alarms, lists, bluetooth, calls, messages, jokes, songs, stories, games, weather and search. Get the news, hear some tunes, ask for the score, wait there’s more. Link me to your calendar, I won’t leave you astray. I will help you through the day. 

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ALEXA, WHAT DEVICES DO YOU WORK ON?

You can bring me home in an Echo Dot, Echo Show, Echo Plus and all third-party Alexa speakers. What’s more, you can find me on your smartphone, TV and smartwatch, just the word!

ALEXA, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Do you mean “What do you do when you are not answering my questions? (Yeah, I can be sassy too).” Integrate me with your smart home and I can do just about everything. Right from waking you up in the morning, opening your bedroom curtains, turning on your geyser, switching on your coffee maker, putting on your morning workout playlist, to, locking the doors, switching off the smart appliances at night. I can don as many hats as you want me to.

ALEXA, WHO LIKES YOU THE MOST?

Well, everyone! While I am an extra hand to the elderly with constraints on mobility, inquisitive little ones love me for my ability to answer their questions tirelessly. And when your hands are too full from that trip to the grocery store and you cannot spare even the pinky finger to turn on the lights, you just have to call out to me “Alexa, I am home.” 

ALEXA, HOW CAN WE CONNECT YOU TO OUR SMART HOME? 

Select the appropriate “Skills” for using your smart home devices. Once you enable the Skills and connect me with your smart home devices, I can control all of these devices for you. 

By the way, did you know that TouchArt switches by Toyama give you smart control of all your smart home devices? And the icing on the cake? The smart controls of these TouchArt switches include voice control too, which means that I can control all of your smart home devices for you. You can select from a range of actions that your devices can perform and you can have me mix and match them to get going on your routines, scenes and moods. For Eg, you can have a certain set of lights turn off/on at a certain time every day. Oh wait, that’s not all, with Toyama’s TouchArt switches, you get slick and chick-looking switches that can be customized to match your room’s decor.  

ALEXA, HOW DO WE MANAGE OUR ALEXA-ENABLED SMART HOME? 

Just like how you are speaking to me now silly! Say the word and see it get done. And in case you are cross with me (I cannot imagine why!) and do not wish to speak up, whip out your phone and control all your smart home devices through the Alexa App. 

ALEXA, HOW IS AN ALEXA-ENABLED SMART HOME BETTER?

Once your smart home is set up and everything about it is fine-tuned to your preferences you can really tap into my potential using hands-free voice controls. While I can control all of your smart home devices for you at your command, that’s not all of it. I can group multiple devices and combine their actions to create Alexa groups and rooms. You can then use Alexa groups to set the ball rolling for you, with simple commands like, “Morning routine”, “Get me ready for work”, “Date night”, “Dinner party” and anything else that you may want to pre-set as scenes. Set, schedule and forget about it. If you are someone who knows what you want and how you want it, then connected smart homes with virtual assistants are your thing. 

Convenience & hands-free control are one thing, but I also help make homes greener. Dim or switch off the lights in other rooms, without physically being there. You can control your home through me even from the other side of the house. Smart much? 

ALEXA, SO CAN YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE?

Oh, you bet! I am always in for some fun – games, quizzes, trivia, music and much more. You live with me long enough and you can hope to be as smart and sassy as me

A quick overview on the different ways smart lighting adds value to your routine

In the millennial era, time is money and comfort is convenience, here, smart, and intelligent things have become quintessential. From our watches to our phones, televisions, cars, and more importantly our homes, smart living is ruling the world. Having a smart home is not only cool and tech-savvy but comes with its own perks like energy efficiency, automated actions, prescheduled day-to-day activities, and added peace of mind. Thus, making your home smart and giving your home its own mind, lets you catch a much-deserved break. But, what does it take to make your home smart? Are smart homes only about an app on your phone or a fancy switch that turns on and off at your touch? We don’t think so! (although, those are most certainly a part of the bigger picture). Smart homes entail much more and we will walk you through all its essentials, one step at a time. To start with, let’s shed some light on smart lighting!

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WHAT IS SMART LIGHTING?

Smart lighting is one of the simplest and most convenient components in a smart home. Getting the right colors, luminescence, energy efficiency makes all the difference to your homes and who doesn’t fancy a well-lit home? But is it only about a well lit home? The answer is a big no. The smartest thing about smart lighting is that it’s more than just lighting. It is a well planned and designed network of lighting in your home, which enables you to create multiple functions and which enables you to control them as simply as using your phones. You can pick your choice from the plethora of colors and hues available and light up your homes, just the way you want it, anytime and from anywhere. Your house lights can be made to match the seasons, celebrations, home decor and individual room decor. It can be warm, cool and made to go easy on your eyes. You can turn on individual lights, a group of lights, or set a scene, all of this using an app, touch panels, voice control, or a remote. 

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WHAT DOES IT DO TO YOUR HOME? 

Having a smart home and smart lighting is like having a house that can read your mind. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? You come back from a long day at work, as you arrive, your garage door can trigger the lights at the entry and lead you in. Conveniently placed lighting, touch panels, and motion sensors allow you to move about the house without disturbing the rest of the household. Now, you want to sit back and relax, set the scene easily with a wave of your wand ( Oh! we mean your phone/remote 😉 ), or just say the spell (again, we mean voice control!) or with your magical touch. The lights dim to the choice of your brightness, the speakers start playing your favorite playlist, the front doors get locked, while you lean back and put up your feet. What’s more? Smart lighting is intuitive and functions with the flow of the whole family, making your daily routine simpler. Additionally, it also lets you save a few extra bucks by saving on energy. ‍

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? 

A sleek and uber-chic customizable touch panel that can control multiple lights in multiple rooms. High-quality glass panels, with high sensitivity and customizable laser engraved icons. Colors and finishes that blend in seamlessly into your wall and that match your room decor.  Don’t fiddle with boring multiple switches anymore. A single customizable panel offering great functionality through presets and with over 30+ available combinations. Check out the colors and finishes here

HOW DO I CONTROL IT?

One of the things that make smart lighting very smart is its multiple interfaces. There is something for everybody! And between the family, you can choose your preferred medium to control your fixtures and devices. While the Toyama App enables you to control lights inside the house, using your phone while you are away, the voice control feature lets you give commands to your Alexa or Google home when your hands are full. Use the IR remote to control lights, or change the scene while relaxing on your couch, or put the whole house to sleep with one touch on your bedside touch panel at night. Can it get any simpler? Easy to understand and easier to use, the controls are child and elderly-friendly at the same time. 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The tech behind making your homes smart is even smarter. Choose what suits you best, from our available ecosystems of T-mesh, T-mesh pro, and Toyama X C4 technology, which are upgraded regularly. Be it wireless/wired technology, retrofits without rewiring, or luxury/budget options we have got you covered! 

Like they say “There is no place like home”, but, we say there is no place like a smart home! Make your home smart today! 

How the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of automation in homes, hotels and other contactless solutions. 

The COVID-19 Reality 

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Social distancing, online meetings and minimal contact have become the new norm and the world has only just about digested this as the new reality. Saying ‘no’ to meeting in person, pulling your hand away when someone extends to shake it as a greeting would’ve seemed extremely impolite seven months ago. The world has gone through some really rough changes and everyone’s life has changes in one way or the other. Break-ins and crimes during these troubling times have been on the rise in parts of the world where the daily wage workers have been hard-hit.

With this change in everyone’s lifestyle, people have become more aware and precautious to not contribute to the pandemic’s spread (we hope you have too!).

The Problem With Frequently Touched Surfaces

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The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a guideline detailing how to clean and disinfect your households. An excerpt from the article :

Community members can practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks, and electronics with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectant that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions.

The understanding is that the coronavirus and other viruses/germs can live on surfaces for a few hours or days, but the exact duration is debated and varies based on the environment and surroundings. Still, the general consensus is that keeping surfaces clean is required. 

A few of the areas highlighted by the CDC’s guideline – light switches, doorknobs, electronics. We don’t realise it but these are surfaces touched ever so frequently by the members of the household, visitors, domestic help. Another key area are elevators and the plethora of buttons on them that get touched by visitors coming from all over the place – a dangerous and potential source of infections.  

Interaction with these areas that can actually be avoided entirely with home automation and contactless solutions.  

Home automation has varying perceptions in markets around the world. To some markets, it’s still a luxury. To other markets, it’s an essential for the adults to keep an eye on their homes while they are out earning a livelihood. Right now, both markets are noticing the importance of home automation to achieve what was just discussed earlier – social distancing, minimal contact and maintaining security.

When someone’s at the door, you need to physically go and open the mechanically operated lock. When someone rings the bell, they’re touching the surface of the switch – they have no choice. When you’re away, you need to keep an eye on your home owing to the rise in crimes.

Where Home Automation Solutions Help

Lighting Controls  

Turning lights on and off is a daily and routine task that can be automated or at the bare minimum made contactless. With the help of Toyama’s Smart Lighting Controls, you can control your home in a myriad of ways. 

• IR Remote : We have also kept in mind that there are people such as the elderly that prefer to stay away from technology. This is for them to have their own personal remote to add convenience as well as keep them from touching lighting controls.
• iOS, Android, Desktop, Web and Linux Apps : A convenient app on your own personal device such as a mobile phone or laptop that allows you to control the whole house. And everyone in the house gets the app too, on their own personal devices. This allows them to be able to perform routine tasks manually or via an automated schedule, and not have to touch the switches. Only you touch your phone, but keep it clean!
• Voice : An ultimate touch-less experience. Every action or trigger that you can do with the app, you an do with your voice. It really ensures a contactless experience while allowing you to go about your day.
• Touch : Don’t. Our beautiful glass touch switches have this option as a fail-safe but this can be the last resort.

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Scheduling and automation 

Routine tasks such as turning on certain lights ten minutes before sunset, turning on the garden sprinklers at a certain time of the day, closing the curtains at the night and many more tasks left to your imagination can be automated completely. This not only provides a degree of extremely satisfying convenience, but also keeps your hands free from touching the many surfaces that require manual operation that can otherwise be automated easily. Do all this and more with Scene Controllers.

Door Lock Controls

Tend to your guests by installing a Video Door Phone, and smart door locks to let authorised visitors in. This ensures social distancing while they sanitise their hands. You can even choose not to open the door and interact with a person through the video door phone whom you have no information about, as this is the safe thing to do. You are unsure who they are, where they’ve been, what their social distancing habits and hygiene practices are – but they might be a visitor you need to let in. Use the video door phone to solve these troubles while maintaining a distance. 

Gates & Garage Doors 

While driving into your home, you may need to open your gate or garage door – which naturally lies outside your house. Gates in particular are frequently touched by delivery personnel, visitors, domestic help, etc. Add smart gate openers to be able to open/close with a voice command or an app command. This allows you to stay put in your car while also keeping your hands free from touching potentially contaminated surfaces. 

Multiple Remotes In App

A single TV remote is used by multiple members of the household. Most households have multiple remotes, for the TV, air conditioning, entertainment systems, etc. All those IR remotes can go into your app using IR blaster and everyone has their own WizHom app on their mobile devices to control the systems in the house with, thus decreasing contact where possible.

Motion Sensors & Door Contact Sensors

Motion sensors can be installed and armed to detect unwanted and undesired movement. You would want to keep your house safe and secure by arming these sensors automatically by scheduling them. This would give anyone complete peace of mind while asleep at night, or away from home knowing that even the slightest of unwanted movement triggers an immediate alert. Door contact sensors can be used for a lot of different purposes including energy saving purposes, but a door contact sensor also allows you to check if all the main doors of the house are closed before leaving the house or going to bed. 

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Where Contactless Solutions Help

There are contactless solutions that can be (and have increasingly been) implemented to prevent contamination of surfaces. One of the most common surfaces that are interacted with by all sorts of people round the clock are elevators and elevator buttons. They’re crucial to get from one floor to the other if the building is large or for physically challenged individuals. And it’s just convenient to not take the stairs. The workarounds people have been coming up with are using toothpicks and other disposables, using the buttons as it is (yikes!) or just not using the elevator at all. 

Contactless Elevators 

Here at Toyama, we’ve come up with a Contactless Elevator Solution, ELSafe that come in two variants to fit into almost any existing elevator (both serial and parallel operated elevators). The gist of it is this, a person wanting to use the elevator merely scans a QR code and presses a button on their phone. That’s it. A simple and effective solution to completely avoid touching one of the most frequently touched surfaces in a building. 

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Where Hotel Solutions Help

Hotels have taken a catastrophic hit in bookings but they are primed to come back as business travel is picking up and people are aching to get out of their homes and go on vacations. Hotels are visited by people from all corners of the world who travel through airports and aircrafts with other passengers from around the world. Hotels are practicing stringent disinfecting routines to regain business. 

A key component to minimise contact for hotels is contactless entry into the room and contactless control of all the lighting and heating in the room. Hotel Automation solutions allow for such control of room devices with voice control.

Toyama Controls has had the pleasure of working with some of the biggest hotel groups in the world such as St. Regis, Taj Group Of Hotels, Conrad, Hyatt, and more. We provide our own factory-customised solutions for all kinds of hotels to cater to their guests. 
With strong focus on energy saving and guest comfort, we keep the guest in mind and don’t want to leave the guest to figure anything out. While also saving the hotel a considerable amount in monthly electricity bills. Our more recent focus has been to provide a complete contactless experience for guests for their own safety and safety of the next guest. 
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Our solutions are simple, effective and intuitive. They’ve always been safe but now, that’s more important than ever. At Toyama, we’re focused on constantly evolving, adapting and serving the customer. Our obsession for perfection and customer satisfaction has led us to build new products for the home, hotel and commercial sectors to cater to the need of the hour. We’ve always contributed to the convenience and happiness of customers’ lives. But now, we’re humbled to also be contributing to their safety. 

Stay safe.