A fun online article in the New York Times discusses the current public perception of smart houses.

The gist of the article was that home automation is, despite appearances, something perfectly obtainable provided someone pays for it. And you no longer have to be either filthy rich or a geek to obtain it. There are however other reasons why people do not invest in home automation.

The most interesting (to me) facts from the article were:

1. A complete home automation solution can be bought for between US$ 5000-10,000;
2. There is no evidence for a demand for smart homes from average buyers, except when energy savings are part of the package;
3. The average american household has 46 electronic devices in it. There’s a great potential for home automation solutions that integrate all these `gadgets’.