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This promising area of technology requires standards to thrive – and the IEC has already published many of the key documents needed for it to grow safely and efficiently.
The fusion between different areas of technology – which could be described as a form of convergence – is one of the big stories likely to change our world in coming years. Experts are talking about the fusion of renewable technologies; for instance, imagine tech that can capture energy from the wind, the waves and the sun simultaneously. This is already being envisaged by some forward-thinking companies, like this innovative German power supplier.
The way artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing med tech has also been much written about, including in e-tech. (read: The evolution of standards in medical care). In the consumer electronics market, wearable devices have been merging with smart home tech in yet another form of convergence. Smartwatches, rings and fitness trackers can help us control smart home ecosystems – which include lighting systems, consumer electronics devices such as smart fridges or even security cameras. Either activated by one’s voice or through a gesture or touch, these wearables can help us to conveniently control heating and optimize energy levels, switch devices on or off, even from a distance. They are in effect replacing smartphones as the centre of command and it could be argued that they are more convenient due to their wearability as well as impossible to lose.
However, for this market to continue growing, challenges are numerous and some of them can be addressed by standards. The first and probably the most obvious one is cyber security. Wearables can be hacked and data accessed. As devices are connected to each other, hackers could gain entry to the whole interconnected system with dire consequences, which could disrupt the way electricity is delivered to the home, for instance. Sensitive data could also be gotten hold of and used malevolently.
The IEC has developed a standard which deals precisely with this aspect: the most recent edition of IEC 60335-1, which specifies the safety of household appliances, includes a new normative annex dealing with cyber security requirements to avoid unauthorized access. The ISO/IEC 27001 cyber security standards also deal with some of the cyber security aspects of smart homes. In 2024, both organizations published ISO/IEC 27403, which provides guidelines to analyze security and privacy risks and identifies controls that can be implemented in Internet of Things (IoT)-domotics systems.
Another big problem is the interoperability of all these different technologies. As this article explains: “Users may find connecting devices from various manufacturers challenging, limiting the potential for a truly connected experience.” Standardized protocols could help to make the experience more seamless but, for the time being, manufacturers try to impose their own systems without worrying about their interoperability with other products or systems.
The IEC and ISO formed a joint technical committee, JTC 1, to standardize tech in the field of information technology. One of the JTC 1 subcommittees, SC 41, was set up to standardize the IoT space and increase interoperability in a variety of areas, including smart homes. ISO/IEC 30184 specifies the requirements and framework for autonomous IoT object identification in a connected home. The SC has also published several horizontal standards which specify the global reference architecture for IoT systems, ISO/IEC 30141, and interoperability for IoT systems, the ISO/IEC 21823 series. “These standards are very high level and apply just as well to applications in industrial IoT, transport or consumer tech, including the connected home,” says the Chair of SC 41 François Coallier.
Other limitations include the internet network which needs to be stable and provide a high bandwidth connection and the batteries powering the devices which are often not powerful enough. (For more information on these aspects, read Finding the energy for wearable tech)
While this fusion of different techs in the home can help us all, one demographic is set to benefit more than most. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2050, some 2,1 billion people will be aged over 60, including 426 million over 80. As the population of the world ages, keeping people in their homes as long as possible is viewed as one of the most humane as well as cheapest healthcare solutions by most medical professionals and governance bodies. Merging wearable and smart home tech enables senior citizens to easily control household appliances, alarm systems or even gardening tools literally with a flick of the wrist or even better a vocal command. No need to walk to the cooker to switch it off, if you can do it from a distance by talking to your smart watch. Same with the lights and heating systems. This is an advantage for anyone with mobility problems or with hand rheumatism and contributes to helping the elderly live at home as long as possible.
The IEC has set up a systems committee to look at this wide area of standardization, the IEC Systems Committee for Active Assisted Living (IEC Syc AAL). It aims to promote safety, security, privacy and cross-vendor interoperability in the use of AAL systems and services. It has recently published IEC 63310. The standard provides criteria and recommendations for product design and manufacture as well as testing and certification. New areas that are currently looked at by the committee are the guidance for services relating to smart speakers in the connected home. It is also working on a general guide to enhancing the safety and convenience for older people in a smart home environment.
The way we are living is changing. Technologies that can help us all are beginning to merge to generate even better products. IEC Standards – and their associated Conformity Assessment Systems – are here to ensure these products are safe, efficient and sustainable.