I spent last week in Christchurch, New Zealand, for the always amazing linux.conf.au conference. It’s my annual pilgrimage: I’ve attended every single LCA since 2002, and this year I presented a talk about my work using DIY home automation projects to help a couple of old friends who have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and rely on electric wheelchairs for mobility.
This was a very difficult talk to give because it tells a story that is both tragic and uplifting. The projects I’ve worked on with Nick and Chris Fryer have been some of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, but along with that came the terrible grief of Nick’s death last year.
Many people have the preconception that home automation is “expensive toys for rich lazy people”, but this talk shows that it’s far more than that.
If you personally benefit from the use of home automation, or have friends or family members who do, I’d love to hear about it. Please comment here or post in the forum, but of course please be respectful of privacy and don’t reveal personal information about anyone else unless they are OK with it.