Home security has greatly evolved since the days of guard dogs and baseball bats. The internet and mobile technology are making new home security systems more efficient and convenient than ever. Remote monitoring is a major innovation that not only improves home security but gives it a whole new dimension, notably when it comes to possible integration with telehealth services. Let’s look at a few ways technology is transforming home security as we know it and what we can expect for its future.
High-Powered Infrared LEDs
Security cameras are only useful when they actually let you see what is going on, and most security cameras used to have horrible night vision, making them nearly useless in identifying an intruder who broke into a dark home.
Enter the world of high-powered infrared LED lights. This creates light that the security camera can detect but intruders can’t, resulting in much clearer footage of intruders who broke into a home at night. Alternatively, they can be used to see what’s going on downstairs without turning on a light.
Remote Monitoring
Home security when away from home? There’s an app for that. Remote monitoring is the term for apps and other software that allow you to keep an eye on the property when you aren’t there.
Remote monitoring allows you to get notifications when someone is entering the home. You can bring up the remote monitoring app and know that a family member came home unexpectedly or that an intruder is breaking in.
You could also receive messages from family, allowing you to arm or disarm the security system and let them in despite having lost their key. Or you can stream the security camera feed to see who is at the front door and answer via a video doorbell, giving them the impression that you’re home. Alternatively, you could adjust the thermostat because you’ll be home late, reducing your energy usage.
If you want to find a system that offers all of this and more, we suggest you check out this review of the best home security systems of 2019. The best will offer things like app based monitoring and devices that seamlessly connect all the hardware in your newly upgraded security system. Some will even have apps that allow you to track family members wherever they are and provide things like fast emergency response or roadside assistance if needed.
Facial Recognition
You may be familiar with the apps that let you unlock your phone using your face. The same facial recognition technology can be tied to your security system.
Facial recognition can let you know if your security system was triggered by a child coming home early from school or a stranger breaking in, for instance. You could also get personalized notifications when someone in the system comes into view of the camera such as a neighbor or housekeeper.
Smart Locks
Keys are inconvenient. They can be copied if your key ring is stolen or lost, leaving you debating breaking into your house or paying for an expensive locksmith.
This in part is what led to the development of smart locks. Users can now use a keypad or a wireless connection to lock and unlock the doors. This eliminates the security risk of storing an extra key under the doormat or a fake rock in the garden. It also gives you the ability to assign temporary pass codes to house guests and contractors that you can terminate at a moment’s notice. Your family will now be safer because you didn’t give them the family’s pass code. The use of passcodes also allows you to track when people entered and left, while smart locks let you lock the doors remotely via an app.
Advanced Home Sensors
A large portion of high-end home security kits will have a variety of sensors that will allow you to do things like open doors and windows through gestures. Some will allow you to wave or even wink to prove your identity and perform an action. You also can control them using the mobile device of your choice. These will also detect room and hallway movements and report them to you in real time wherever you are. Some also have siren systems, alerting intruders when a sensor was triggered.
Conclusion
Smart home technology is making our homes safer and giving us new tools for when the worst happens, making everyone safer in the process. We can expect home security technology to keep evolving as the world is becoming increasingly interconnected.
Image Credits: Sebastian Scholz
Like this article? Share with your friends!