Confirming rumors that began circulating last week, Apple unveiled the Homekit home automation project at today's Worldwide Developers Conference as a way to connect iPhones and iPads to smart home devices like light bulbs and appliances.

"We thought we could bring rationality into the home automation space," Craig Federighi said from the WWDC stage on Monday morning. He announced that Homekit will employ a "common network protocol that has secure pairing so only your iPhone can unlock your garage door."

Possibly built on the Reminders app's geofencing capabilities, Homekit will allow users to trigger any compatible device when their iPhone enters or leaves a specific location. Additionally, Siri integration will allow users to say things like "get ready for bed" to enable a suite of smarthome functions at the same time, like making sure a garage door is closed, thermostat is lowered, and lights are dimmed.

This usability was hinted at when Haier debuted the Tianzun air conditioner, the first MFi-approved home appliance, at this year's CES, but that presentation didn't mention any "made for iOS" requirements for devices. The WWDC presentation mentioned that Apple is working with "leaders in home automation to give HomeKit a consistent network protocol," and a giant screen listed names such as Haier, Honeywell, Texas Instruments, and more.

We will have more on this story as it develops.