There are a lot of things that can be done to improve the user experience when it comes to showers and shower rooms and some of these are covered in our more general section on bathrooms.
Whilst there are "smart showers" and numerous shower gadgets available, we don't really see the need for them and believe you can add smart features in better ways, using the existing controls that everyone is familiar with. This is the thinking behind our smart shower controller.
Most smart showers focus on digital controls for setting temperature but we think this is the wrong focus for several reasons:
We usually find we want to vary the temperature whilst having a shower, using different temperatures at different stages of showering. We also select different temperatures based on the ambient temperature, the time of the year or even the time of the day. Basically, having one set temperature doesn't work for us. It's one of those things in the smart home that is best left to user control. And it is for this reason that we didn't make any attempt to display the current water temperature. The numbers are irrelevant if it just feels right.
We always want to deliver a great user experience with user interfaces that are simple and intuitive. For this reason we have chosen to stick with our existing and familiar shower controls. The use of appropriate sensors turns these 'dumb' controls into something really smart though. To enable this we use a flow sensor and a water temperature sensor.
To enable all of this required functionality we have developed our own smart shower controller.
To have a great shower experience, you need a quality shower mixer that can maintain the your chosen temperature and this assumes you have good water pressure, so that the shower is not affected by other things using water in your home. This is not really a smart home issue though. Many of the 'smart' showers claim to do this, as if a normal shower mixer unit won't provide this feature.
Our smart shower controller works with whole home context and thus provides wider information and context into our contextual smart home. As well as delivering a great user experience, it also ensures our privacy is protected and implements our usual high level of security.
We are using a distance sensor to detect shower occupancy. This turns on the light and also ensures it stays lit whilst someone is in the shower. Water flow is also used to keep the light on, but once water flow is detected, the colour of the shower light indicates the current water temperature.
There are other techniques that can be used to detect shower occupancy and having a live 'test bed' enables us to test out these concepts. We have investigated using the shower water temperature but whilst it can be used when rising to detect occupancy, the high specific heat capacity of water means that the pipes it is carried in don't cool down quickly enough to detect when the shower is no longer occupied.
Water flow through the shower head can be measured using a flow sensor. This can be used to detect flow and also measure rate of flow. It can then also be used to provide occupancy information to the contextual smart home. This can then be used to delivery visual notifications, voice announcements, control lighting, the extractor fan, heating, mirror demisters, heated towel rails, etc. This would be combined by all the other sources of occupancy information in the shower and bathroom such as PIR sensor, door contact sensor, switches, buttons, etc.
By measuring the water flow, we can also measure how much water is wasted before the water gets up to temperature and how much water is used when showering. To get accurate figures, we have calibrated the flow sensor.
It is a good idea to monitor the water temperature at the shower head though (or as close as is possible). This enables visual feedback and this is useful because most showers run cold initially, whilst the hot water makes its way through the pipework to the shower head. Not only does this help save energy but it also helps prevent you from stepping into a cold shower.
We could also deliver a voice announcement to let people know the water is up to temperature but so far we haven't felt the need for this. The dynamic smart lighting works well enough.
Regardless of the other lighting in a shower room or bathroom, it is good to have clear and bright lighting above a shower cubicle. We prefer a light that is closer to daylight white and our shower controller can work with binary (on/off) lighting, dimmable lighting or smart lighting.
Lighting can be automated by numerous sensors but dynamic smart lighting can also provide useful information and effects in our shower. For example:
We use dynamic smart lighting for all of the above and have unique effects for each of the above visual notifications.
In addition, we have also implemented some optional sound effects, so (for example) a gentle buzzer sounds when the lights flash to indicate time spent in the shower. This is in support of the visual indications and is an optional feature.
We have voice announcements capability in our bathroom and these can be made with whole home context, so when you start running a shower our contextual smart home can tell you: "There is not enough hot water for a shower at the moment". It can do things like this because we have sensors on our hot water tank. We can also ask our our smart home to let us know when there is enough hot water for a shower.
This is covered under appliances. Our shower controller can control a single speed or variable speed fan based on activity, water flow, sensed humidity, etc. Basically, the extractor fan becomes really smart and a zero-touch user experience.
In our current home, our shower had an associated pull-cord smart switch to turn the shower light on. We have designed our smart shower controller to work with a switch like this too. The switch will ensure the shower light stays on but is also used to provide occupancy information to our contextual smart home.
Connected towel rails under intelligent control can ensure you have a nice dry, warm towel ready, when you step out of the shower. Our use controllers to enable adaptive schedules and touchless switch control. This is not part of the smart controller but is a general feature supported by our contextual smart home.
Some people like to use heating elements in the shower tray and shower 'walls'. This helps to dry the shower cubicle and reduces the chance of mould forming. It was too big a step to retro-fit this into our current bathroom but it is something we will investigate in our next home.
Our smart shower controller supports a leak/flood sensor under the shower tray.
We have developed our own wired flood and leak detection sensor which has been designed as a low-cost, extremely reliable sensor for new builds and to also retro-fit into existing buildings. It is easily interfaced to many things including legacy alarm panels and the smart home.
All of what we have researched and developed is about improving quality of life and delivering the best possible user experience. One that is simple, intuitive and works with a wide range of user interfaces. Wherever possible we have provided a zero-touch user experience that works intelligently around you and works for all regardless of ability, impairments, etc.
It all also works through power cuts and Internet outages. No one wants to be left in the dark in a shower during a power cut!
We much prefer the approach of considering the shower cubicle as smart home zone in its own right and having the shower tightly integrated with our wider contextual smart home. It provides a much nicer, more integrated user experience and doesn't feel like we have bolted some technology into our bathroom. It's also an experience that works for everyone, including visitors and guests. Many of the features are also a zero-touch user experience, resulting in a more luxurious feel.
The data logged by our smart shower enables us to analyse usage and understand how it is being used. It is possible to infer some really quite powerful things from the live data. Even simple things like the shower water temperature can be used to see when the shower is in use, how long for and in many cases, who is using it (based on how hot the shower is).
In our @smartest_home occasionally tweets the shower temperature. This is a sensor located in the ceiling above the shower.
In our @smartest_home occasionally tweets the shower water temperature. This is a sensor measuring the water temperature at the shower head.
SmarTap in an interesting product because it retains a simple user interface but also enables voice and app control. SmarTap measures water usage and allows you to control and learn about the temperature, pressure, flow rate, and duration of your shower. You can create multiple 'shower scenarios' to personalise your showering experience. With 3 outlets, you can connect SmarTap to a large range of showers, hand showers and baths.
