Faculty of Engineering

Technical and Engineering English

Level B 1

UNIT 4

HOME AUTOMATION
 Prof. Rodgers

Home Automation Prof. Rodgers

Pre-Viewing

As part of their work engineers often write technical definitions and instructions.
Write a technical definition of an automated or digital home.

A digital home is …..

First viewing

Now watch the video on home automation.

-Does it define a digital home?

-Having watched the video would you change your definition of a digital home in any way? How?
Write down your changes.

Second viewing

Listen and complete the gaps in the text.

So you have a ______ to call _________

But, ________if you ________do more than just ________in it?

What, if you could ________ and _________ your home’s _____________ devices and amenities
all from the palm of your __________ from just about ____________ in the ___________?
Well, _______ ___________ allows for just that. It’s _________ _______ ____________ and it
turns any home into a ________ ________.

With home automation certain lights _______ _______ and _________ when you _______ into a
_______

Drapes ____________ _______ and _________ based on the________ of ____________ a window

is receiving.

The jacuzzi __________ you that it has __________ the ___________ you have ___________ on
your smart ________

And your home’s front ________ is set to automatically ___________ itself __________ after
entering into the driveway.

All ________ and _________ can be _________ with home automation.

With such ________ household related items seemingly come to __________ ready to take your
_________at a ______________ notice

And that puts you into a _________ of bliss with the __________ you call __________.

Home Automation Prof. Rodgers

Sentence Completion

Now, without the text and with reference only to the 5 images from the videos, complete the
sentences below.

1.With home automation

2.With home automation …..

3.With home automation …..

4.With home automation ….

5.With home automation …..

Discussion
1.Is your own home an automated home? Explain.
-Are Italian homes in general automated? Explain.
-When you buy your first house, will you install any feature of the automated home? Explain.
First Reading
1.Lights.2.Drapes.3.Jacuzzi.4.Doors
The video gives these 4 examples of things that Home Automation can control.
Which of the 4 are mentioned in the reading?
Home Automation Technology
1. A German in Bonn turns off the light in his
bathroom. Nothing strange about that, except
that his home is in Berlin. In fact, he is using
a new system devised by the German
electricity group RWE, which lets customers
control lighting, heating and household
appliances while they are away from home.
2. To use the service, (Example) known as
eHome, customers need to (1)_______ a
gateway - a more intelligent version
(2)_______ a modem - which links into a
(3)_______ automation system. They can then
dim (4)_______, perhaps to suggest to
potential burglars (5)_______ there is
someone dozing in front of (6)_______
television set, and adjust the heating
(7)_______ warm the house in preparation for
their (8)_______. Surprisingly, no extra
connections are needed: the home automation
system controls the household appliances and
switches by using the conventional electricity
wiring in the house.
3. Customers use a Wap-enabled mobile
phone or just a standard telephone to issue
RWE's eHome platform with commands for
their homes. Or they can set up a personalised
internet portal to control the heating or
lighting via a personal computer or laptop.
Transmission is via ISDN, DSL, standard
telephone line, or even over RWE's local
electricity network.
4. RWE launched its service last year and has
been gradually offering it to an increasing
number of local electrical customers. So far
1,500 homes have signed up and by the end of
the first quarter of next year eHome services
could be available to up to 30 per cent of
German households. RWE claims to be the
first company to offer a such a service
commercially, although other leading
electricity companies in Germany, France,
Italy and Spain are considering or testing
similar technology. "There are three benefits
for the user from eHome services: energy
savings, security and the convenience that
once you push a button everything will be
managed in your home," says Jens-Michael
Peters, who heads RWE's eHome activities.
5. The company also has plans to offer a
security service whereby sensors are set up
around the house to alert users on their mobile
phones if there is a burglary. An entertainment
service is another possibility and the company
has already launched an internet access
business using the electricity power lines
instead of phone lines. "Once you have the
intelligent box in the home, you might run
any service," says Mr Peters.
6. Roger Marshall, an industry consultant,
believes such services have a future, though
he has some reservations: "Expectations are
quite high. In my view, it's only a matter of
time. You have to look at economics because
technically it can be done. The question is
how you package it." Mr Marshall points out
that there is a stronger political impetus for
RWE to launch a service that enables
customers to exert control over electrical
consumption in Germany than elsewhere in
Europe: "Energy conservation is a much
bigger issue in Germany. The green lobby is
more powerful." Cost savings with heating
can be particularly attractive for customers, he
says.
7. Not everyone is enthusiastic. Rival German
electricity company Eon announced at the end
of November that it was dropping its
powerline development. The company said it
still had "various projects about e-home
applications", which can be delivered over
telecommunications infrastructure as well as
the electricity networks, but would not give
any more details.
Home Automation Prof. Rodgers

VOCABULARY
Complete paragraphs 2 in the text with the appropriate words from the box below.
Example: known

1. __________________
2. __________________
3. __________________
4. __________________
5. __________________
6. __________________
7. __________________
8. __________________

known home install lights of return that the to

II. HEADINGS
Choose the best heading from the list below for each of the indicated paragraphs from the
text.

Example: Paragraph 2 ___F_

. Paragraph 1 _____

Paragraph 3 ____

Paragraph 4 _____

Paragraph 5 _____

A. How instructions are given

B. History and advantages of the service
C. An expert’s view of RWE’s services
D. Example of long distance control
E. A less optimistic company
F. Necessities for the eHome system
G. Additional RWE service possibilities
Home Automation Prof. Rodgers

III. REFERENCE
What do the underlined words in the sentence refer to?

turns off the light in his bedroom(paragraph 1)

While they are away from home

…eHome platform with commands for their homes(paragraph 3)

….and has been gradually offering it to an increasing number(paragraph 4)

…to offer such a service(para 4)

---or testing similar technology(para 4)

The company also has plans to offer a security service(paragraph 5)

…technologically it can be done(para 6)

….that it was dropping its powerline development(paragraph 7)

IV. GENERAL COMPREHENSION

Indicate if the following statements are true (T), false (F) or if there is not enough
information in the text to decide (N), based only on the information in the text.

-RWE’s service can only be used from Bonn

-There is only one way to control the home automation service

-Fear of robbers is one reason why people choose Home Automation

-Home Automation prevented 10,000 burglaries in Bonn last year

-30% of German households use Home Automation

-Germans do not care about energy consumption

- Roger Marshall is sure Home Automation will be commercially successful

-Roger Marshall and Jens-Mitchell Peters agree on one benefit of Home Automation

-RWE is not the only company interested in home automation

Home Automation Prof. Rodgers

Question and Answer

1.Wite questions which give precisely the answers below. An example has been done for you.
A. eHome
Q. What is RWE ’s Home Automation system called?
A. It lets customers control lighting, heating and household appliances while they are away
from home.
Q.
A. A Wap-enabled mobile phone or just a standard telephone .
A. last year
Q.
A. 1,500 homes
Q.
A. Energy savings, security and the convenience that once you push a button everything will
be managed in your home.
Q.
A. A security service whereby sensors are set up around the house to alert users on their
mobile phones if there is a burglary.
Q.
A, that services have a future,
Q.

Home Automation Prof. Rodgers

Word Order
1.The following sentences on the digital home are not in order. Number the words to indicate
the correct order. In each sentence the first word is given.
1.difficult/instructions/for/are/technological/homes/to/digital/understand
Instructions
2.afford/ a majority/digital/cannot/people/of/a/home
A majority
3.for/home/price/digital/is/explanation/the/the/the/failure/of
Price
4.technology companies/ difficulties /have/ selling/digital/homes/idea/the/of
Technology companies
5.devices/home/home/digital/a digital/just/not/with/is/devices
A digital
6.formed/division/a/new/focus/Intel/in/January/home/on/the/to/digital
Intel
7.consumers/have/enthusiastic/homes/so/far/not/been/digital/about
Consumers
8.succeed/home/can/with/promotion/good/and/advertising/the digital
The digital