As the internet of things brings more technology into the home, forecasters predict the home automation industry to be worth over £9 billion by 2020.
CBR puts together a list of ten smart ways of living in the home of the future.
1. Appliances
From smart hoovers to smart ovens, domestic robots will end domestic chores of cooking, washing or hoovering.
The iRobot Roomba 780 vacuum cleaner automatically cleans the home and has built in intelligence to avoid collision with other objects. The device can also put itself to rest by rolling to the cupboard and switching off power.
Another example of a smart robot is the Wi-Fi Coffee Machine by Smarter. The machine brews the coffee grains on the spot and automatically makes coffee when ordered via a mobile app.
The app allows users to control how the coffee is brewed, so the machine can make stronger coffees for those lazy mornings.
2. Lighting
The size of a hand, Floor Plan Light Switch was designed by Korean Taewon Hwang. The panel is adaptable to every home and displays an actual floor plan of the house.
The system connects to the electrical grid of the house, but users only see a touchscreen wall panel which helps homeowners to always know which switch to press, turning lights on and off in different parts of the house where needed.
The solution has an eye-friendly intensity of light that allows people at home to find the switch in the dark.
3. Temperature
HeatMiser Neo allows homeowners to control the heating of each room in the house. The solution can be controlled using an app downloadable to smartphones and Apple’s iWatch.
Users have to acquire and set up a smart thermostat that will communicate with the app. Geofencing is also incorporated, and makes the house turn on the heating when it senses its owner approaching, and switch it off when no one is home.
The solution’s second version – neoKit 2 – can support up to 32 different zones and consists of three parts.
The neoStat, replaces the room’s thermostat. The neoStat-hw, replaces the hot water programmer and the neoHub, connects to the home’s broadband router and is the gateway for the system to talk to the app.
4. Flooring
SensFloor, a large-area sensor system, is based on a textile underlay with a thickness of 3 mm. The sensor system has four integrated radio modules and 32 proximity sensors per square meter.
When someone walks across the floor, sensor signals are sent to a control unit which can differentiate between people moving, standing or lying on the floor.
SensFloor switches lights, controls automatic doors, and detects unauthorised intrusion. The solution can be installed beneath PVC, carpet, and laminate.
5. Security
The smart home security market already has a lot of solutions out there. An example is Nest’s Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm solution that alerts users to smoke in their homes and where is being detected from.
Fibaro is another security technology provider that has developed a more complete sensor based security system that monitors water, smoke, temperature, light, and movement.
6. Furniture
The LG Styler freshens up clothes and fabrics with its Odor Removal technology that uses steam to remove odors. The solution allows customers to choose between two different aroma sheets.
The Quick Refresh function keeps clothes fresh, while Moving Hanger Action shakes steamed items to remove wrinkles.
The Easy Pants Crease Care feature readies trousers within 30 minutes. The LG Styler also features a built-in heat pump, which generates and maintains warm air at a low temperature to keep clothing from shrinking or being damaged while drying.
7. Bathroom
From Japan, Satis is a smart toilet that can be controlled with a free mobile phone app available on Android’s app store.
Developed by Lixil, the £4,000 toilet has automatic flushing, bidet spray, plays ambient music and releases fragrances.
The device has an automatic lid that opens when built-in sensors sense a person approaching, with the seat also featuring automatic heating when the lid lifts up.
By using the My Satis app, users can control the toilet via Bluetooth and play their personal playlists. If of interest (?), the app can record the number of times the same user visits the loo.
8. Entertainment
Samsung’s latest development with TV was the introduction of voice recognition, with the smart interaction technology allowing viewers to use their voice as a remote control.
Samsung said the voice control performance may vary depending on language, local dialect, pronunciation, voice and ambient noise and lighting levels.
Flexible TVs are also about to hit the market, with LG leading the way with an 18-inch OLED television panel which is as thin as paper. The screen has a resolution of 1,200 by 810 pixels.
This is possible as OLED screens do not need a traditional backlight source to project like ‘common’ TVs do. The manufacturer said it will only release the 18in solution for now, but has admitted the possibility of launching a 60in Ultra HD roll-up TV by 2017.
9. Bedroom
OHEA "makes the bed" in 50 seconds. The device can work automatically and detect when the user has left the bed, or sleepers can choose to manually press the button for the bed to be made.
When the bed-making mechanism activates, a lid on each side of the bed opens and a mechanical arm with two rollers emerges on each side at the foot of the bed.
After positioning the lateral cord that holds the duvet between the two rollers, the arm pulls the duvet up to the head of the bed. Once the cord is fully extended, the arm descends and the lid closes.
At the same time, the pillows are straightened by cords attached to the pillowcases after which the panels rotate elevating the pillows; and once the upper coverlet has been stretched to the head of the bed, the pillows fall back onto it.
10. Monitoring
NEEO is a remote control for all connected gadgets in the house. Developed by a startup with the same name, the device has hand recognition with a battery which lasts for months.
The device communicates with smartphones over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 6LowPAN, ZigBee and Z-Wave.
It allows users to control their home cinema systems, Google’s Nest home solutions and any other appliances in the space.
