Believe it or not, the age of the Jetsons lies just around the corner. We may not have robots and computers performing every menial task from cooking dinner to dressing us for work, but a home automation system brings the future a little bit closer. A home automation system gives us the ability to control the electronic devices in our homes from wherever we are. Today's technology makes it possible to turn on your air conditioner or heater, pan a surveillance camera through your living room, or even record your favorite TV show from anywhere in the world.

How does a home automation system work?

Three components comprise a home automation system: structured wiring, a connection center, and a computer-like microprocessor. Professional installers run the structured wiring throughout your home to the various hubs located in the connection center. The connection center, which is the nucleus of your home automation system, houses the microprocessor and connects it to the numerous hubs. The home automation system microprocessor allows you to operate the various home electronic systems and appliances wired into your home automation center from: touch screens, wireless remote controls and keypads anywhere in the world via the Internet.

What are the possibilities with a home automation system?

In today's day and age, we go 100 mph, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The more packed our calendars get, the shorter the days seem. A home automation system rids our lives of tedious tasks that seem to take up more and more of our time. The example below shows how a home automation system can simplify your life.

You're getting ready to leave work on Friday afternoon, and you start to think about your day. (1) dropped kids at school/daycare at 7:30 a.m. (2) hit the gym at 7:45 a.m. (3) got to the office at 9 a.m. (4) drove to the cleaners on your lunch break (5) had 45-minute parent-teacher conference at 1 p.m. (6) pick up kids at 5 p.m. (7) cook dinner for your in-laws at 8 p.m.

Now, imagine right before shutting down your computer at work you log onto your home automation system, click an icon, and your home air conditioner turns on. You can also see on the monitor, via your security cameras, that you forgot to start the dishwasher and washing machine. Clicking another icon starts them both.

While sitting in traffic, you open your PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) and hit a button, which turns on your oven to preheat. You also realize it's getting dark, so punching another button turns on your front-porch lights. When you turn into your neighborhood, you click your wireless remote, and your home automation system turns on the garage lights and opens the door, disables your security system, starts a pot of coffee brewing, and begins playing your favorite jazz song over your audio system.

The appliances you depend on and the activities you enjoy in your home become stress-free and easier to manage when you install a home automation system.