The Role of Electric Actuation in Smart Homes

Smart home automation is the latest craze. With products like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Apple’s Siri, users can enjoy the convenience that comes along with these technologies. They have the power and smarts to be able to deduce and adjust to different factors in one’s home, such as thermostats, lights, music, television, etc. While these technologies are incredibly useful, they can only do so much. When it comes to physically move something, this kind of technology cannot do the job. That’s where electric linear actuators can help.

 

Electric linear actuators and other products, such as lifting columns, provide linear motion for certain objects in a smart home, including blinds, recliners, sit-stand desks, pergolas, television sets, and kitchen appliances. At TiMOTION, we provide these motion products to help you streamline efficiency in your home.

 

Here is an overview of these different applications:

• Actuated blinds

What could be more luxurious than having your windows outfitted to adjust automatically according to your preferences? With actuation, you can program your blinds to adjust to shield you from direct sunlight or to open and close at your will. TiMOTION has designed a series of gear motors, the TGM series, to help motorize blinds and shades.

 

 

• Recliners

There is a wide variety of furniture that can be customized to move electronically. Recliners are one of these items. Even though these are well known, few people actually know what the mechanisms are inside of them that allow them to function properly. Electric linear actuators provide a wide range of motion inside of these recliners to adjust positioning on the head, body, and legs. Our TA32 was designed specifically for the head tilt function on a recliner. 

 

 

• Sit-stand Desks

No smart home is complete without an office with a sit-stand desk. More and more people are starting to recognize the health benefits of alternating between sitting and standing while working. At the touch of a button, our TEK series will operate the desk surface up and down at will. Another feature that we have added to our TEK series is the “Stand Up Please” mobile app. By using this app, you can actually control the height adjustability of your desk via your mobile device, just like other smart features in your home. This app also has the memory function, calorie tracking, and customized alerts for sit-stand cycles.

 

 

• Pergolas

Pergolas are a luxurious addition to one’s backyard, and they can also be controlled by linear actuators. The actuator will help tilt the blades of the pergola, opening the roof to allow sunlight in, or closing it to protect against inclement weather. Some of our actuators that are ideal for these applications are the TA4, TA2, TA2P, and TA16.

 

 

• TV Lifts

Another piece of furniture typically used in smart homes are TV lifts. This help disguises the appearance of television sets by having them lower and disappear into furniture while not in use. Furniture manufacturers can design consoles and cabinets to include electric column actuators, such as our TV lift actuator, the TVL3.

 

 

• Kitchen Applications

If there’s one room in the house that could benefit the most from electric actuation technology, it would probably be the kitchen. Appliances such as height-adjustable worktops, side tables, and adjustable spice racks can use electric actuators to improve their performance and flexibility. Not everyone in your family is the same height, so why would your work surfaces all be the same height? Proper ergonomics throughout the home is a necessity to prevent bodily strain and injury.

 

 

Smart homes are no longer a futuristic concept; they are becoming the norm in today’s day and age. It is essential that furniture and other objects around the home keep pace with the ever-changing technology, with the end goal of making your life easier. Smart home technology introduces a whole new element of luxury. If you would like to learn more about our home automation options, contact us at:

TiMOTION Headquarters ►sales.tw@timotion.com

TiMOTION USA                    ►sales.us@timotion.com

TiMOTION Europe              ►sales.eu@timotion.com

TiMOTION Japan                ►sales.jp@timotion.com