ABSTRACT
The guidelines collated here are drawn from a variety of sources,1 covering issues of basic physical accessibility to the home environment as well as the design of interfaces to home automation systems and other products. Home automation is still an emerging technology, however, and relatively little is known about how to design and evaluate these technologies effectively. Few products are in the marketplace and a lack of standards in this area has also created significant problems in the actual construction and operation of such systems. Sophisticated home automation systems are still very much a rich man’s toy or an enthusiast’s plaything and in addition most developments are experimental in nature rather than being well-established technologies. A number of experimental systems have been developed but evaluation as to their long-term value has been limited.
