I took up my diploma project with Honeywell Technology Solutions, Bengaluru. My project was to design a residential security system for the Indian market. The project began with understanding the whole concept of security in general.
From all the research done, I concluded certain problem areas of concern, on the basis of which the idea generation began. The goal was to come up with very radical concepts, out of the box, forgetting what security systems do today. After idea generation, I matched those ideas with the areas of concern I had identified. I wanted to design something, which could act as an interface between the residents and the house, giving them more control of the house even when they were away.
Hence, the final product is a small display device, which can be wall mounted or kept on the tabletop. It has a mobile unit magnetically attached to it, which can be detached and carried around the house. Through this device, it is possible to monitor the entire house, lock and unlock doors and windows with the remote, and control lighting, temperature, surveillance cameras, and appliances digitally.
The device is designed to have a database of all the known visitors of the house. Children and aged people can refer to the device before opening the door to strangers. It is also designed to give constant updates on the crime scene in the vicinity and photographs of people one should be careful of.
The project was a great learning experience. It made me realize how we ignore something like security so easily while constructing our homes. Today, technology serves as a blessing in disguise by equipping us with a thousand ways to make our homes more secure and safe to live in.
