(Re)Defining Smart Home Through an HCI Perspective: A Systematic Review of over Two Decades of Smart Home Conceptualization and Research

• Published in: International journal of human-computer interaction Vol. 41; no. 17; pp. 10743 - 10766
• Main Authors: Owens, Otis L., Beer, Jenay M., Leonard, Mike S., Sudduth, Bill, Burton, Lydia, Wu, Xian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis 02.09.2025
• Subjects: definition; description; Smart home; smart house; systematic review; umbrella review
• ISSN: 1044-7318; 1532-7590
• DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2024.2437112

Smart homes have increasingly become subjects of frequent discussion in consumer and academic communities. Despite the decades-long advancement of smart homes, there is not a clear and consistent definition for a smart home that encompasses the diversity of research and development taking place in the field. The present work aims to provide a systematic evidence-based synthesis of ostensive and formal definitions over the past two decades. In addition, we investigate how these definitions have changed over time and whether these definitions differ based on academic discipline. There were 355 definitions analyzed across 333 articles. Most of these definitions were original and published by engineering, computer science, and/or mathematics researchers. The greatest changes in definitions over time are related to the types of popular smart home technologies present during the decade. Specifically, IoT home devices and sensors showed a considerable increase in mentions beginning in 2010. We conclude the publication by proposing a new roadmap for conceptualizing and defining smart homes.