I imagined using lots of sensors to control vents,
windows, blinds, and HVAC
Yes! This times 1,000.
I remember people gushing over the first wave of smart thermostats and all I could think about was how useless a "smart thermostat" was without the ability to also control windows and blinds.
That is the most time-consuming part of regulating temps and fresh air. Getting up to change the thermostat is quite easy!
Smart thermostats are also IMO of limited use for most pet owners. Yeah, theoretically I could let my house get very hot or very cold when I'm not there to save money... but I can't let my cats or dogs freeze... so that kind of clamps the acceptable temperature range.
I do accept that there is a certain sort of person for whom a smart thermostat makes sense - a person who is not home very often, has no pets, and has minimal windows. In short, single apartment dwellers. But they don't have very expensive heating/cooling bills anyway.
Also even if I spent $100,000 putting automated windows in my house, I'm not sure I trust them enough to not chop my cat in half if he happens to be sitting on the windowsill....
I remember people gushing over the first wave of smart thermostats and all I could think about was how useless a "smart thermostat" was without the ability to also control windows and blinds.
That is the most time-consuming part of regulating temps and fresh air. Getting up to change the thermostat is quite easy!
Smart thermostats are also IMO of limited use for most pet owners. Yeah, theoretically I could let my house get very hot or very cold when I'm not there to save money... but I can't let my cats or dogs freeze... so that kind of clamps the acceptable temperature range.
I do accept that there is a certain sort of person for whom a smart thermostat makes sense - a person who is not home very often, has no pets, and has minimal windows. In short, single apartment dwellers. But they don't have very expensive heating/cooling bills anyway.
Also even if I spent $100,000 putting automated windows in my house, I'm not sure I trust them enough to not chop my cat in half if he happens to be sitting on the windowsill....