INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

CT098-3-2-RMCT

Research Methods for Computing and Technology

NP2F1701IT

HAND OUT DATE: 31-08-2017

HAND IN DATE: 17-11-2017

WEIGHTAGE: 100%

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

1. Submit your assignment at the administrative counter

2. Students are advised to underpin their answers with the use of references
(sites using the Harvard Name System of Referencing)
3. Late submission will be awarded zero (0) unless Extenuating Circumstances
(EC) are upheld
4. Cases of plagiarism will be penalized
5. The assignment should be bound in an appropriate style (Comb Bound or
Stapled)
6. Where the assignment should be submitted in both hardcopy and softcopy,
the softcopy of the written assignment and source code (where appropriate)
should be on a CD in an envelope/ CD cover and attached to the hardcopy.
7. You must obtain 50% overall to pass this module
 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT
TECHNOLOGY PARK MALAYASIA
CT098-3-2-RMCT

INTAKE CODE: NP2F1701IT

Research Methods for Computing and Technology
SUBMITTED BY:
Maunata Shahi (NP000039)

Approved by:

Dipesh Khanal (Faculty Member)

 Table of Contents

Title .................................................................................................................................................. 2
1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 2
2. Problem Statement ................................................................................................................... 3
3. Problem Background ............................................................................................................... 4
4. Literature Review..................................................................................................................... 5
5. Aim and Objectives.................................................................................................................. 8
6. Research Questions .................................................................................................................. 9
6.1. Domain Research Questions ............................................................................................ 9
6.2. Technical Research Questions ......................................................................................... 9
7. Research Design..................................................................................................................... 10
7.1. Gantt chart...................................................................................................................... 11
8. Reflection ............................................................................................................................... 12
9. References .............................................................................................................................. 13
10. MARKING CRITERIA ..................................................................................................... 15

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Title
The title of my research is Smart Home.

1. Introduction
The rapid change in human living has been caused by the unexpected development of digitalized
information communication technology. This research is to create a physical environment for
better living and digitalized cultures developed at unprecedented speed and directions. It is to seek
and estimate the influence of digital culture on the change of physical environment from a multi-
disciplinary view. To accomplish it, it definitely needs the ability to link the progress of digital
cultures to other fields or to physical environment. It is expected that the approach used for
developing an environment with digital techniques and cultures and for building paradigms. We
purpose to create ‘things’ that will react to living conditions relevantly under constant changes and
that will communicate technological value as it is. Above all, we shall offer digital ‘environment’
for the future that is designed for actual habits of people, rather than ‘things’ that provide for
specific uses and operations. Smart home is a house that uses information technology to monitor
the environment, control the electric appliance and communicates with the outer world. Smart
home is a complex technology, at the same time it is developing. A smart home automation system
has been developed to automatically achieve some activities performed frequently in daily life to
obtain more comfortable and easier life environment. Smart home can monitor the temperature,
humidity, lighting, fire & burglar alarm, gas density of the house and have infrared sensor to
guarantees the family security. The system also has internet connection to monitor and control the
house equipment’s from anywhere in the world. Such a system belongs to a domain usually named
smart house systems. The approach combines hardware and software technologies.

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2. Problem Statement
Today people are looking at ways and means to better their life-style using the latest technologies
that area available. Any new facility or hope appliance that promises to enhance their life-style is
grabbed by the consumers. The more such facilities and appliances are added, it becomes inevitable
to have easy and convenient methods and means to control and operate these appliances.
Conventional wall switches are located in different parts of a house and thus necessitates manual
operations like to switch on or off these switches to control various appliances. It gets virtually
impossible to keep track of appliances that are running and also to monitor their performances.
The price of hardware used in house can’t be easily afforded as smart home may have cyber-
attacks and issues. (Anon., n.d.) (Anon., n.d.)

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3. Problem Background
From 1901 the invention of home appliances has been discovered. Though they haven’t mentioned
as a smart homes. After that smart home began to increase popularity in the early 2000s. Smart
homes suddenly became more affordable option and therefore viable technology for consumers.
Domestic technolomote video surveillance.gies, home networking and other gadgets began to
appear on store shelves. But today’s smart homes are about security and living greener. Current
trend includes remote mobile control, automated lights. (Hendricks, n.d.)

Though we got lot of benefits and advantages from smart homes but there are also few
disadvantages. Smart home is control over home which has been done by mobile systems. But we
lose our phone sometimes. Gadgets are one of the bad communicators. Many of us haven't even
mastered our smartphones yet and now the “smart house” is edging in on us. (Newman, 2015)

Smart Cameras is one of the devices used in smart home. Researchers of Context security
examined the Motorola FOCUS73 and found the ways to tamper with the device. By intercepting
Wi-Fi network passwords, infiltrators were able to change angles and intercept warning message
to homewarners. (Brown, n.d.)

While more studies of smart-homes are focused on the possibilities of data collection than its
ethical limits, research has tried to understand the ethical implications of smart-home and related
health technologies. These studies commonly raise concerns about privacy, but also suggest
consent, social isolation and equity of access are major areas of concern. End-users have been
observed to allow their privacy to be compromised if they perceive sufficient personal benefits,
which some scholars claim is a fair trade of privacy for increased autonomy. Others complain such
a compromise neither fosters end-user autonomy nor avoids serious moral harms to personal
agency. (Birchley, 2017) .As home automation products flood the market, there’s growing concern
that these internet connected devices like smart cameras and thermostats are an easy target for
hackers because they lack basic security measures. So, there are problems with the security in
smart homes. (Thompson, n.d.)

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4. Literature Review
Researchers has implemented the HAS using Wireless Bluetooth Technology. The work from the
paper has extended the system by keeping the physical switches where the 5V switches replaced
the conventional switches, which guarantees that electric shocks don’t take place. This is to ensure
that safety must be of the prime concern at home. The system is implemented with the help of
Bluetooth module, which is of the measure of frequency 2400 Hz and is able to provide
connectivity up to 100 meters at the speed of 3 MBPS. Moreover, a group of devices not exceeding
than 7 can be interfaced in a Picante. (MM Ismail, 2017)

Smart homes of today consist of a plethora of devices like multiple cameras, microphones,
different sensors, actuators, device controllers, and home databases, which can be remotely
accessed for user convenience. These devices, along with the home database, have a variety of
personal information regarding a home’s inhabitants, like healthcare information at different
home automation systems over time, they have always tried to provide efficient, convenient, and
safe ways for home inhabitants to access their homes. Irrespective of the change in user
expectations, advancement of technology, or change of time, the role of a home automation system
has remained the same. (Anon., n.d.) (Jose, 2016)Smart Home domain is a new trendy way of
home automation and energy conservation. The increasing demand on home automation and self-
care for the elderly and the disabled persons has led to the increasing number of research works
and academic publications in this domain. To date, there is no comprehensive survey on research
papers based on home automation. The main objective of this paper is to identify the main
applications of various home automation technologies and future enhancements needed in this
field. (Suresh, 2016)

Although smart devices have been available in the past, their use has been restricted because they
lack intercommunication. One suggested solution is to connect all smart devices using hard wiring
however, the resulting portability problem then creates a demand for a wireless network capable
of accommodating the devices. (Ameena Saad al-Sumaiti, 2017)

The first smart homes were ideas, not actual structures. For decades, science fiction has explored
the idea of home automation. Prolific writers, such as Ray Bradbury, imagined a future where
homes were interactive, and seemingly ran themselves. In Bradbury’s cautionary short story,

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“There Will Come Soft Rains” he describes an automated home that continues to function even
after humans have died out. It’s all well and frightening, until you consider the actual benefits of
home automation, and then the idea becomes more comforting than chilling. (ahmed, 2017)

Although the idea of home automation has been around for some time, actual smart homes have
only existed a short while. This timeline focuses on hardware; meaning actual inventions leading
up to the smart homes we know today and can expect from the near future.

1901 – 1920 - The invention of home appliances – Although home appliances aren’t what we’d
consider “smart,” they were an incredible achievement in the early twentieth century. These
achievements began with the first engine-powered vacuum cleaner in 1901. A more practical
electricity-powered vacuum was invented in 1907. Throughout two decades refrigerators would
be invented, as well as clothes dryers, washing machines, irons, toasters, and so much more.
(Hendricks, n.d.)

1966 – 1967 - ECHO IV and the Kitchen Computer – Although it was never commercially sold,
the ECHO IV was the first smart device. This clever device could compute shopping lists, control
the home’s temperature and turn appliances on and off. The Kitchen Computer, developed a year
later, could store recipes, but had the unfortunate tagline, “If she can only cook as well as
Honeywell can computer” and therefore sold no models.

1991- Gerontechnology – Gerontechnology combines gerontology and technology and makes the
lives of senior citizens easier. In the 1990s, there was a lot of new research and technology in this
sector.

1998 – Early 2000s: Smart Homes – Smart homes, or home automation, began to increase in
popularity in the early 2000s. As such, different technology began to emerge. Smart homes
suddenly became a more affordable option, and therefore a viable technology for consumers.
Domestic technologies, home networking, and other gadgets began to appear on store shelves. And
smart home has become popular in today’s life. (Anon., n.d.) Setting up of a smart home requires
the fundamental technology including protocols and all the hardware and software. Besides, you
need smart devices that can be connected to the internet on the home network. For example,
cameras, motion sensors, LED lights, devices with built-in web servers, etc. These are readily
available online or at electronics improvement stores.

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Before buying such products, one has to make sure that all devices use the same technology. If
two devices use different technologies, say one uses X10 while other uses Z-Wave, then it requires
a bridging device as well as a lot of technical expertise. It is usually recommended that one should
seek professional help while designing a smart home. Technicians with CEA-Comp TIA
Certification are considered to be more proficient in installing and troubleshooting the home
networking equipment.

The cost of home automation depends on how smart the home is. The users can either keep it basic
with jut intelligent lighting or add high-tech security systems. One has to decide where to place
the nodes to have an effective routing range and plan the as it may require renovation or rebuilding
of certain portions of the house

Fig: Popularity of smart home (Vaishnavi.S.Gunge, 2017)

(Anon., 2017)

(Anon., n.d.)

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5. Aim and Objectives
1. Improve comfort and ensure security

2. Simplify use of technologies.

3. Improve comfort and minimize operating costs.

4. Improving the pre-competitive collaboration of the market players involved, overcoming

the obstacles of innovation and formulating recommendations to the government.

5. Developing a program for the establishment of cross-system interoperability and IT

security in the smart home which is supported by all stakeholders and includes the option
of obtaining a technically reputable seal to create market differentiation and raising
acceptance levels in the mass market.

6. Raising acceptance levels and supporting market preparation by adopting an international

approach from the beginning.

7. Developing the interoperability and IT security requirements, and tests for them, on the
basis of the user stories and resulting use cases submitted by the companies.

8. Jointly defining the requirements for a technology platform which bridges the gap between
existing and future smart home technologies and products using standard interfaces.

9. Introducing pioneering standards to the international bodies. (Anon., 2017) (Anon., n.d.)

(Anon., n.d.)

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6. Research Questions
A research question is the fundamental core of a research project, study, or review of literature. It
focuses the study, determines the methodology, and guides all stages of inquiry, analysis, and
reporting. (Anon., n.d.)

6.1. Domain Research Questions

User question
 Can You Access and Monitor Home Automation Features Remotely?
 Do we have to build new house to enjoy home automation?

Researcher Question
 What kind of security will be used?
 What kind of sensors are used and how to implement?

6.2. Technical Research Questions

 What operating system will be needed for smart home?
 What kind of programming languages will be used?
 How long will it take to complete the system?
 Do you think this system will exist in the current market?
 Does this system has age group limitation?

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7. Research Design
Primary research and secondary research are two stages of doing research. In the primary research
there will be questionnaire, user survey based internet or face to face will applied to gather
information whole in secondary stage it includes gathering of data information from the sources
such as journal books, or conferences paper based.

In the primary research the sampling method will be using is self-selection sampling. This kind of
sampling mostly will use internet to publish and get result from user who do sampling. The self-
selection sampling also can send through email and get feedback when replied. Questionnaire,
interviews are done in primary research. Through the interview useful interviews can be obtained.
Data collected by this method is likely to be more correct compare to other methods.

In the secondary methods literature review has been done and used citation to show more
convincing statements. Likewise data information are gathered through books and conferences
which are paper based.

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7.1. Gantt chart

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8. Reflection
This research is based on the meaning of smart home and the details of smart home elements. And
the main objective of this paper is to give a survey for these smart home researches and summarily
describe the details about smart home. As the development of technologies grows, many research
projects have also been developed. Now smart home is more than just a home controlled by the
central evaluation unit like computer. With smart homes, the way people live will obviously
become more efficient and comfortable. All the time, our home can be saved from home
automation, so we will have much time to work on other pursuits. However, smart home
technology is a good choice for people who care about security and comfort but energy saving as
well. Smart homes will become more ubiquitous because new technologies will be explored
more and more.

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9. References
ahmed, m., 2017. Smart Home Activities, s.l.: Research gate.

Ameena Saad al-Sumaiti, M. H. A., 2017. Smart Home Activities:A Literature Review, s.l.: tandfonline.

Anon., 2017. engineersgarage. [Online]

Available at: https://www.engineersgarage.com/blogs/smart-homes-technology-and-implementation-
home-automation
[Accessed 16 11 2017].

Anon., 2017. http://www.ijecs.in/issue/v3-i10/56%20ijecs.pdf. [Online]

Available at: http://www.ijecs.in/issue/v3-i10/56%20ijecs.pdf
[Accessed 15 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. aspire systems. [Online]

Available at: Home-Automation-Using-Android%20Phones-final.
[Accessed 11 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. https://www.researchgate.net/publication. [Online]

Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282517365_Smart_Home_Automation_Security_A_Literatur
e_Review
[Accessed 3 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. https://www.slideshare.net/roandua/my-smart-homes. [Online]

Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/roandua/my-smart-homes
[Accessed 12 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. iotevolutionworld. [Online]

Available at: http://www.iotevolutionworld.com/m2m/articles/376816-history-smart-homes.htm
[Accessed 14 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. researchrundowns.com. [Online]

Available at: https://researchrundowns.com/intro/writing-research-questions/
[Accessed 16 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. zertifizierungsprogramm. [Online]

Available at: http://www.zertifizierungsprogramm-
smarthome.de/smarthome_en/programme/objectivesandguidingprinciples/pages/default.aspx
[Accessed 10 11 2017].

Anon., n.d. zertifizierungsprogramm-smarthome. [Online]

Available at: http://www.zertifizierungsprogramm-
smarthome.de/smarthome_en/programme/objectivesandguidingprinciples/pages/default.aspx
[Accessed 5 11 2017].

Birchley, G., 2017. BMC medical ethics. Smart homes,Private homes, Issue 4 April 2017.

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Brown, S., n.d. www.tripwire.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/off-topic/could-your-smart-home-put-you-at-
risk/
[Accessed 13 11 2017].

Hendricks, D., n.d. www.iotevolutionworld.com. [Online]

Available at: http://www.iotevolutionworld.com/columnist.aspx?id=100571&nm=Drew Hendricks
[Accessed 13 11 2017].

Jose, A. C., 2016. Smart Home automation Security, USA: mafiadoc.com.

MM Ismail, S. R., 2017. Smart home. Issue 2016.

Nagendra Kumar, s. C., 2017. Smart Homes Design,Imolementation and Issues. 2015 ed.
s.l.:springer.com.

Newman, R., 2015. five problems with smart home, s.l.: The exchange.

Suresh, S., 2016. Green Engineering and Technology Control. India, IEEE XPLORE.

Thompson, C., n.d. businessinsider.com. [Online]

Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-smart-homes-can-be-hacked-2015-7
[Accessed 15 11 2017].

Vaishnavi.S.Gunge, 2017. Smart Home Automation, India: s.n.

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10. MARKING CRITERIA
The research proposal will be evaluated in 3 main sections:

Problem Definition (Forum 1) 15%

Criteria Marks Allocated
Title, Aims and Objectives 5%
Problem Statement & Preliminary Research 5%
Presentation 5%

Research Proposal Report 70%

Criteria Marks Allocated
Final Problem Background Research and Discussion 10%
Literature Review 20%
Research Questions 5%
Research Design 10%
Personal Reflection 10%
Documentation Standards 5%
Referencing 10%

Presentation of Proposal 15%

Criteria Marks Allocated
Explanation & Justification of proposal 5%
Q&A 5%
Presentation 5%

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Workload Matrix

NAME Work Allocation Sign

Maunata Shahi 100%

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