Xiaomi Mi Home: how it works and what the smart home ecosystem includes

What is a “smart home”, how compatible is the Xiaomi system with the Russian market and how to set it up – in the material of Kommersant.

What is a Xiaomi “smart home”

Xiaomi “smart home” is a special system, thanks to which you can connect different devices in an apartment or house, as well as automate and control their operation.

The system is called smart largely because it itself understands what to do in certain situations, and does not require the user to activate certain actions verbally or using devices. For example, it will remember what time the user drinks tea, and will also automatically turn on the air conditioner when people enter the house.

One or several people can control the operation of a smart home; it is possible to provide access to some devices, for example, to a spouse or housekeeper. The system can be personalized for each family member. Thanks to automatic settings, a “smart home” will help reduce energy costs and be able to prevent emergencies such as gas leaks.

Among the advantages of Xiaomi are a relatively low price in the market, lightness and ease of installation, as well as compatibility with a wide range of devices, including those from Yandex. It is possible to connect the Xiaomi smart home with Apple HomeKit and Google Home, as well as use third-party voice assistants to control gadgets. It will be possible to integrate devices from other brands if they support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or ZigBee communication protocols.

What you need to operate and set up a “smart home”

To control devices, you will need the Xiaomi Mi Home or Xiaomi Aqara Home application, which work with different generations of devices. Mi Home and Aqara have the same interface, but a different way of integrating gadgets into the home network. Both apps are available on iOS and Android. Application users will have access to all added devices both from the local network and from anywhere in the world using cloud services. The system itself, according to Xiaomi, has reliable cryptographic protection, which virtually eliminates errors during data transfer.

Also, to control a Xiaomi smart home, you will need a gateway that connects devices, a Wi-Fi router with a permanent Internet connection, sensors (temperature, humidity, motion sensors) and the smart devices themselves, including smart sockets and other equipment. All gadgets are connected to each other by three communication protocols: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Zigbee. Most Xiaomi devices connect via the Zigbee protocol.

What can a smart home control?

Among the devices to which the Xiaomi smart home system can connect:

• smart door locks with the ability to open the door using a fingerprint, PIN code or from a smartphone;
• household appliances, including smart refrigerator, microwave oven, rice cooker, kettle and others;
• multimedia equipment, including televisions, wearable gadgets and network equipment;
• cameras;
• lamps;
• robot vacuum cleaners;
• furniture for home;
• smart plugs;
• smart heated clothing;
• there is even the ability to control a cat litter box or a smart toilet seat.

How scripts work

All the diversity of the “smart home” operation is manifested in scenarios. A script is a set of actions that are performed under certain conditions or after certain triggers. Scenarios work like “if X happened, then Y needs to be done.”

It is the use of scripts that transforms the entire system of smart gadgets from just devices that can be controlled from a phone into a full-fledged “smart home”. Scripts allow you to automate and customize various aspects of life in the home for different users.

You can launch a script when sensors are triggered (for example, motion detection by a camera), on certain days or at a designated time, when you call your phone or receive notifications, at a certain room temperature (for example, for air conditioners), as well as manually by pressing a button in the application. Some scenarios can be combined with each other.

For example, you can set your lighting to turn on the bedroom light, air conditioner, or heater at certain times in the morning, open the curtains, and play certain music or turn on the radio. You can set up a schedule for the operation of household devices or launch them on command. If the user has left the house, then you can enable a scenario for the door lock “if the door opens, an alarm is triggered.” You can configure the camera so that when motion is detected, it records video and sends a notification to the owner, as well as locking the lock or turning on the siren. When you turn on the TV, you can program your smart home to turn off the lights and close the curtains.

How compatible is the Xiaomi system with the Russian market?

Xiaomi is compatible with most Yandex devices, but for smart home systems to work correctly, you may need to select China as the location. Another possible compatibility issue is related to this: depending on the selected region, only those devices that are localized for that country are available to the user. For example, it will not be possible to add a vacuum cleaner for the Chinese market to the Russian region or vice versa. If you buy a Xiaomi set-top box or TV, you may need to take the version intended for Russia, otherwise it may be difficult to set up and control from the application. When purchasing gadgets, you need to carefully monitor the regional restrictions of the devices.

Evgeniy Fedunenko