3 ms·

OpenMotics: Open-source home automation platform

16 points by erwt 12y ago

click170 12y ago
Discussion from just the other day regarding another piece of home automation software called Domoticz if you're interested: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8152714 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8152714
msandford 12y ago
From their website: "easily 75% cheaper" https://www.openmotics.com/shop/ https://www.openmotics.com/shop/ The "gateway module" is 400 euro which is over $500usd. That might be cheaper than hiring someone to do it for you, but it's expensive compared with a lot of the x10 and x10 derivatives out there. It seems like everything offered on Amazon for Home Automation is cheaper than that: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_6478740011_ex_n_1?rh=n%3A228013%2Cn%3A%21468240%2Cn%3A495266%2Cn%3A6478739011&bbn=6478739011&ie=UTF8&qid=1407880262 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_6478740011_ex_n_1?rh=n%3A2280...
- erwt 12y ago
  When compared to other wired home automation manufacturers (like Niko) and for the same functionality (# switches, lights, valves etc.) it is way cheaper. The main module is costly though. Btw, it's not a wireless system so only usable for a new house/completen renovation.
  - msandford 12y ago
    Yeah, but that's like saying a Tesla Model S is a cheap car. It is compared to ferraris and lambos and porsches and the like, which are what it's competing against. But there are plenty of other cars out there which are cheaper than any of those like hondas and toyotas and fords and whatnot.
    - erwt 12y ago
      That depends on your views/intentions on home automation. If you're looking to have some switched outlets here and there get, sure, get this instead: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-WeMo-F7C027fcAPL-Discontinued-manufacturer/dp/B0089WFPRO/ref=sr_1_23?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1407882006&sr=1-23 http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-WeMo-F7C027fcAPL-Discontinued-m... If you'd rather have HA as a core component in your house a wired solution offers the best value for money imo. No batteries, no (possible) interference, greatly reduced security issues etc. the wires in the wall will always work. Once you have a larger number of inputs & outputs connected to the system the price of that gateway starts making sense as the other hardware is a lot cheaper in comparison.
      - msandford 12y ago
        The point I'm trying to make is that the website is misleading. It says "home automation" rather than "professional home automation". There isn't ANYTHING to indicate that it's real home automation for adults rather than the cheap crap you can buy at big box stores these days. Tesla can say that it makes fairly inexpensive top-of-the-line luxury cars. But it can't claim to make cheap cars in general. OpenMotics might be very reasonable compared to Niko but that's not the entire home automation market. To claim that it is or ignore the notion that there are other, worse-is-better competitors out there severely harms the credibility of the marketing effort. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation#Comparison_of_popular_protocols http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation#Comparison_of_p...
moepstar 12y ago
Can anyone estimate the cost of building the modules oneself? On their wiki, they've got the BOM for the modules and the corresponding PCB layouts etc. Not an EE, but that'd help estimating the feasibility of producing the modules...

16 points by erwt 12y ago

Discussion from just the other day regarding another piece of home automation software called Domoticz if you're interested: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8152714 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8152714

msandford 12y ago

From their website: "easily 75% cheaper" https://www.openmotics.com/shop/ https://www.openmotics.com/shop/ The "gateway module" is 400 euro which is over $500usd. That might be cheaper than hiring someone to do it for you, but it's expensive compared with a lot of the x10 and x10 derivatives out there. It seems like everything offered on Amazon for Home Automation is cheaper than that: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_6478740011_ex_n_1?rh=n%3A228013%2Cn%3A%21468240%2Cn%3A495266%2Cn%3A6478739011&bbn=6478739011&ie=UTF8&qid=1407880262 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=lp_6478740011_ex_n_1?rh=n%3A2280...

erwt 12y ago
When compared to other wired home automation manufacturers (like Niko) and for the same functionality (# switches, lights, valves etc.) it is way cheaper. The main module is costly though. Btw, it's not a wireless system so only usable for a new house/completen renovation.
- msandford 12y ago
  Yeah, but that's like saying a Tesla Model S is a cheap car. It is compared to ferraris and lambos and porsches and the like, which are what it's competing against. But there are plenty of other cars out there which are cheaper than any of those like hondas and toyotas and fords and whatnot.
  - erwt 12y ago
    That depends on your views/intentions on home automation. If you're looking to have some switched outlets here and there get, sure, get this instead: http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-WeMo-F7C027fcAPL-Discontinued-manufacturer/dp/B0089WFPRO/ref=sr_1_23?s=lamps-light&ie=UTF8&qid=1407882006&sr=1-23 http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-WeMo-F7C027fcAPL-Discontinued-m... If you'd rather have HA as a core component in your house a wired solution offers the best value for money imo. No batteries, no (possible) interference, greatly reduced security issues etc. the wires in the wall will always work. Once you have a larger number of inputs & outputs connected to the system the price of that gateway starts making sense as the other hardware is a lot cheaper in comparison.
    - msandford 12y ago
      The point I'm trying to make is that the website is misleading. It says "home automation" rather than "professional home automation". There isn't ANYTHING to indicate that it's real home automation for adults rather than the cheap crap you can buy at big box stores these days. Tesla can say that it makes fairly inexpensive top-of-the-line luxury cars. But it can't claim to make cheap cars in general. OpenMotics might be very reasonable compared to Niko but that's not the entire home automation market. To claim that it is or ignore the notion that there are other, worse-is-better competitors out there severely harms the credibility of the marketing effort. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation#Comparison_of_popular_protocols http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_automation#Comparison_of_p...

moepstar 12y ago

Can anyone estimate the cost of building the modules oneself? On their wiki, they've got the BOM for the modules and the corresponding PCB layouts etc. Not an EE, but that'd help estimating the feasibility of producing the modules...