Home automation empowers Aussie households with customized control of lighting, climate, appliances and more. Now, integrating location-based geofencing takes environment and device automation to the next level.
We’ll explore geofencing capabilities for Australian homes. Discover how to program personalized scenes to match your daily routines for family, pets, entertainment and efficient home operation.
An Introduction to Geofencing
Geofencing uses virtual perimeters to trigger actions based on your location. GPS, Wi-Fi and RFID create digital boundaries that devices can respond to.
For home automation, geofencing allows programming custom scenes for:
- Arriving and leaving the house
- Moving between rooms or zones
- Being home versus away for extended periods
Your automated systems respond seamlessly based on family members’ locations to match preferences and schedules.
Top Products for Australian Homes
Here are some leading platforms and devices to enable location-aware automation:
Home Automation Systems
- Control4 – Control4 Smart Home OS is a popular option for Aussies. It natively integrates geofencing for arrival/departure scenes.
- Loxone – Loxone’s Miniserver and automation software provide robust geofencing tools. Monitor family members from your smartphone.
- Savant – Savant’s Pro Series includes geo-services API for location-based automations. Integrates with smart lights, AV, climate tech and more.
Compatible Devices
- Ecobee Thermostats – Program temperature changes based on location. Geofence by room for smart climate control.
- Philips Hue – These smart lights connect via the Hue Bridge. Change lighting scenes based on your geofenced location.
- Bose Smart Speakers – Integrate speakers with your system for location-triggered audio environments.
- Rachio Smart Sprinklers – Automate watering when you’re home and conserve water while you’re away.
- Petnet Smart Feeders – Feed pets on schedule and receive notifications when your furry friends eat.
Exciting Use Cases for Aussie Homes
Let’s explore some of the cool ways to leverage geofencing for Australian households.
Entertainment Automation
Transform spaces into an immersive theater or gaming lounge using your location.
Possible actions:
- Dim lights in nearby rooms when you settle into the TV room
- Power on AV equipment and calibrate audiovisual levels
- Activate motorized window blinds for glare control
- Adjust climate systems to keep viewing spaces cool
- Pop popcorn with perfect timing using a smart microwave
Entertainment is automated for an optimized viewing or gaming experience.
Welcome Home Routines
Come home to the perfect environment with a tailored “arriving home” scene.
Actions may include:
- Turn on driveway and entryway lighting
- Unlock the front door
- Open the garage door
- Power on entryway and living area lights
- Activate whole home audio with upbeat music
- Set the temperature to your ideal comfort level
- Announce any calendar reminders or alerts
walks inside to the home. This ensures lights & music do not run all day.
Goodbye Automation
Transition seamlessly out the door with a programmed “leaving home” routine.
Possible automations:
- Turn off unnecessary lights and electronics
- Lower thermostat temperature to conserve energy
- Close the garage door if left open
- Activate robot vacuums to clean while you’re out
Your home enters an efficient, low-power state as you head out for work or vacation.
Pet Geofencing
Automate pet care tasks based on your location.
Actions can include:
- Activate a smart pet feeder to dispense meals while you’re away
- Integrate live video to monitor pet activity and sleeping areas
- Control automated laser toys or ball launchers for scheduled playtime
- Monitor kennel temperature and adjust climate controls as needed
- Schedule roomba cleaning cycles to keep floors fur-free
- Text alerts if unexpected barking or noise is detected
Geofencing provides new possibilities to keep pets happy, healthy and safe.
Smart Watering
Automatically adjust home irrigation when residents are home or away.
- Activate sprinklers when family is away to reduce slip hazards
- Disable sprinkler schedules if unexpected rainy weather forecasted
- Customize yard watering schedules morning and night when least obtrusive to family routines
- Receive alerts if any leaks detected with moisture sensors
- Integrate with smart landscape lighting to illuminate walkways only when occupied
Efficient automated watering helps keep your yard lush and reduces waste.
Multi-zone Climate Control
Program temperature preferences in each room for smarter heating and cooling.
- Raise temperatures in unoccupied bedrooms and studies during the day
- Lower temperature in living room when home entertainment mode activated
- Cut AC entirely to certain zones like the garage when away
- Integrate window blind automation for natural light and heat management
Location-based preferences save energy while keeping lived-in rooms perfectly comfortable.
Efficient Away Mode
Configure an efficient away mode for vacations and long weekends.
This could include:
- Significantly adjusting thermostat to conserve energy
- Randomizing light schedules to mimic occupancy
- Suspending non-critical scheduled maintenance
- Adjusting watering schedules to fit travel dates
Your entire home seamlessly transitions to an efficient away state.
Implementation Tips
While smart home technology has become more accessible for DIY installation, complex integrated systems like home automation still benefit greatly from professional installation and configuration. The specific placement and tuning of devices like sensors, antennae and controllers is critical for geofencing functionality.
A seasoned home automation professional understands the protocols for integrating with your home’s infrastructure and can configure robust rules for location-aware actions. They also provide essential post-installation support to fix any issues, optimize performance, and assist with upgrades. The investment in expert installation helps ensure your system reliably delivers on the full promise of features like customized geofencing automation. This avoids frustrations from a DIY setup that may have limited capabilities or reliability issues. In a technology as intricate and multi-faceted as home automation, working with experienced installers is highly advised to maximize long-term satisfaction.
The Future of Geofencing
With continued innovation, geofencing capabilities are only getting better.
Possibilities ahead include:
- More precise perimeter mapping with distributed antenna arrays
- Room-level tracking with next-gen WiFi and sensors
- Backup gateways providing redundancy if networks interrupted
- AI learning and proposing helpful automation adjustments over time
- Location-specific voice commands tailored to each family member
- Anonymous crowdsourcing of popular locations to refine away modes
Geofencing stands to become even more reliable and powerful.
Why Aussies Should Adopt Geofencing
Location-based automation provides many benefits:
- Convenience – Program truly personalized arrival/departure scenes
- Efficiency – Optimize energy use when away or in different zones
- Flexibility – Easily adjust rules and notifications based on needs
- Reliability – Build in contingencies so geofencing works consistently
- Control – Customize your ideal environments room-by-room
Geofencing helps households maximize comfort, savings and convenience.
Conclusion
Location-based automation delivers next-level control for Aussie homeowners. Monitor family members from your smartphone and program personalized scenes. Integrate devices for optimal energy savings, pet care, water management and entertainment.
With robust platforms available and innovation ongoing, the possibilities are endless. As Australians embrace home automation, geofencing provides the next evolution in customization.
Start enhancing your household today with location-triggered programming tailored to your family’s routines. The future of automated living is here.
