What Is Geofencing?
Geofencing is a tool used in security and home automation that uses location to give you greater control over your home. Geofencing works very similarly to modern features you might find in a new car. Cars nowadays can turn on the cabin lights, start the engine, and unlock the doors all by just sensing that you are in the range of the vehicle. Geofencing can give your home similar functionality when incorporated into a smart home hub or smart security system.
Geofencing sets a virtual perimeter using GPS, RFID, WIFI, or cellular signals. The border is highly customizable, although the most common form is a circle around your property. When you cross that perimeter your phone or another connected device sends a signal to the hub, letting it know that you are near.
Geofencing provides a severe upgrade in the field of home automation & security. Most home automation/security relies on events that either happen inside your home, just outside, or on a connected device. Geofencing allows the events that would usually be triggered by those things close to your house, to be triggered further away.
Applications - Security
Once the perimeter is crossed, the returned signal can be used in a multitude of ways, depending on the parts of your house the hub is connected to. A common security application is linking a geofence to automatic locks. This works by setting the locks once the hub knows you have gone out of range of the geofence. No more worrying about whether the door is locked or not! You can even get notifications saying that your door has been locked successfully. Cars also use geofencing for security. Some newer cars have an available feature that sends out an alert if the car goes beyond a certain distance without the keys being present. This same idea can be applied in your home by using geofencing to protect your family.
Actions in the hub can be triggered by anyone who has a phone or device and is connected to the hub. When they go in/out of the perimeter you can receive notifications or execute a set of commands through the hub. This could be you, renters, your kids, or even your dog (If you fancy the idea of getting them a smart dog collar).
Applications - Home Automation
Geofencing is not only useful for security purposes. It can also impact the everyday aspects of life at home. The way a thermostat warms/cools a house is a great example. Your thermostat may have a set temperature, or even change that temperature during the different parts of the day. If your thermostat isn’t set when you get home, and it’s frightful cold outside, you will have to wait for the house to warm up. With a place that has its thermostat connected to geofencing software, you won’t have to wait at all! When you cross the virtual boundary, a signal will be sent to the thermostat that lets it know it’s time to change the temperature. This system will save you the time it takes to configure your thermostat, money in energy savings, and make sure you’re comfortable the second you step in the door. Thermostats are just a particularly brilliant example. Essentially any part of your home that can be connected to a smart home or smart security system can be controlled through geofencing. This technology may seem confusing and even scary at first, but users report that once they start using it, they never want to go back to the old way. Geofencing is another tool for homeowners to increase their security and peace of mind.
