Mains powered automated homes for the elderly

       

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By Guy Kasier, E&D Systems

As the options grow for homes to become increasingly automated, throughout them the innovative use of traditional electrical installations is ever more apparent. All too frequently however, such innovations are restricted to appliances and equipment that are mainly suited for larger, luxury dwellings, with many of the manufacturers of these products only targetting this quite narrow top-end of the market.

Many, but not all manufacturers, with exceptions such as Eaton Holec (a Dutch / American company) that complements this existing home automation market by addressing and supplying solutions for the care sector. Eaton Holec’s Xanura system provides specific home automation facilities that enable the elderly to live at home for longer. This system can be used as easily in newly constructed homes as in existing ones, which is clearly very advantageous; it also makes use of the existing 230V cabling for its control signals.