The neural network house:
An environment that adapts to its inhabitants
Although the prospect of computerized homes has a long history, home
automation has never become terribly popular because the benefits are seldom
seen to outweigh the costs. One significant cost of an automated home is that
someone has to program it to behave appropriately. Typical inhabitants do not
want to program simple devices such as VCRs, let alone a much broader range of
electronic devices, appliances, and comfort systems that have even greater
functionality. As an alternative, we describe a project in which the goal is
for the home to essentially program itself by observing the lifestyle and
desires of the inhabitants, and learning to anticipate and accommodate their
needs. The system we have developed controls basic residential comfort
systems-air heating, lighting, ventilation, and water heating. We have
constructed a prototype system in an actual residence, and describe initial
results and the current state of the project.
Retrieve Paper (postscript)
Retrieve Paper (pdf)