Abstract
Smart home is an evolving technological innovation that originates from the numerous application areas of the Internet of Things (IoT). As the world is driving more and more closer to adopting smart cities based infrastructural environments, in which most activities involve innovative technological connectivity, smart home automation is one of the focused areas which has grown exponentially in the last few decades. The main objective of smart home automation is to make life easier and convenient for homeowners and users. The role of smart home automation is essential to healthcare and the social and economic well-being of all users through the provision of a convenient and conducive place of living. With the spontaneous evolution of new trends in smart home automation design, the various elements and functions of devices used in building smart home systems need to be explained as these technologies have significant benefits. They can assist traditional methods of controlling and monitoring home appliances, improve healthcare for the elderly and disabled, alert homeowners in case of potential risk and enable homes to be controlled even while the owner is far from home. Most importantly, smart home systems have great potential for reduction in energy loss. Furthermore, to provide valuable insights into these technological environments, we must clearly understand some of the available options and gaps in the area of smart home automation systems. This paper presents a taxonomy of IoT smart home automation systems with elaborate discussions on the technologies, trends and challenges in smart home automation system design. A constructive and detailed review of existing literature based on application areas of smart home automation is presented. Lastly, highlights of the approaches, technologies, and strength and weaknesses associated with the smart home automation systems are discussed.