Companies took to this year’s CES a whole range of devices that are designed to to smarten up homes.
CBR lists ten smart things for the home that have impressed critics.
1. Smart fridges
With a price tag of $5000, Samsung has taken to CES one of the smartest and most interactive fridges to date.
The Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator is a multi-tasker device that organises groceries and home tasks, and provides entertainment.
All communications are housed and displayed on a 21.5 inch full HD LCD resolution screen located on the upper right exterior door. As the refrigerator’s digital family command centre, the screen allows users to post, share and update calendars, pin photos, share treasured kids’ works of art, and leave notes via their smartphone.
The fridge also has in-built technology that tracks what users have and do not have in the fridge, and keeps track of expiration dates. Three HD cameras inside the fridge capture an image every time the door closes. Users can access these anytime using their smartphone and on the door’s screen.
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In addition, MasterCard has unveiled an app that enables consumers to order groceries directly from Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerator. The Groceries by MasterCard connects the fridge to grocery shops.
2. Smart mirror
A magic mirror that helps people chose their makeup and save time in the morning. That was Panasonic’s preposition with the Interactive Mirror the company took to CES.
The mirror, that acts like a professional health and beauty advisor, includes an augmented reality portal that activates when users press an in-built button. A picture is captured in real-time with the use of a camera placed in the middle of the mirror.
Users can choose from a range of eyebrows, lipsticks, moustaches and other face features and will also be given a real-time score based on the popularity of each feature.
3. Smart wardrobe
LG has expanded its smart wardrobe portfolio with a larger version of the LG Styler. The device holds up to five garments on hangers while the Pants Crease Care feature can steam and press a pair of trousers, bringing the Styler’s total capacity to six garments.
The LG Styler reduces wrinkles, removes odors and helps sanitize clothes without detergents or other harsh chemicals.
The company has also introduced new features including the Moving Hanger capability that shakes the clothes after they have been steamed to de-wrinkle garments. In addition, the Pants Crease Care feature, located on the inside of the glass door, accommodates larger-sized trousers up to waist size 48.
The LG Styler is also equipped with Wi-Fi technology, allowing consumers to operate it remotely. It can send push notifications to a smartphone and display information on energy consumption during a cycle.
4. Intelligent mattress
With prices starting at $1,100 including a bed, Sleep Number’s bed is full of sensors that track anything from heart rate to sleeping patterns.
The bed has three different types of technology. First, SleepIQ is integrated to track sleeping patterns and offer suggestions to improve sleeping habits. Touch-free, biometric sensors track the whole body hundreds of times per second (heart and breathing rates, presence and restfulness).
ActiveComfort technology respond to individuals’ constant changing needs and adjusts the mattress automatically to the needs of each individual.
Lastly, the SleepIQ API lets users connect to other items including fitness tracking, nutrition, environment and schedules.
5. Smart vacuum cleaner
Scheduled for launch in Q2, Samsung’s POWERbot Turbo Robotic Vacuum is a vacuum cleaner equipped with Smart Control Wi-Fi connectivity that enables consumers to control the movement of the vacuum remotely using their smartphone.
The "Select & Go" feature creates a virtual map of the entire home on the smartphone app, with each room that can be named individually. It then lets the user pick specific areas or rooms in the home that may need cleaning.
The POWERbot Essential Wi-Fi Robotic Vacuum provides 10 times more suction than the leading robotic vacuum brand3 and is also equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities so you can easily schedule specific cleaning times or turn the vacuum on/off.
6. SmartyPans
Pans have been invented in all shapes and sizes, however, at CES the industry was exposed to the first smart pan in the market developed by SmartyPans.
The device includes a rechargeable battery with 800 mah LiPo and a microcontroller that allows the pan to communicate to the cooker’s smartphone via Bluetooth.
It can also provide real time measurements, such as temperature and the weight of the food placed on the pan.
The smartphone app include voice features that let the user tell the pan which ingredient has been added in. The user will also get a nutrition chart for each aliment he/she uses, and overall meal nutrition values.
7. Digital bartender
A drinks maker that will serve guests and turn the home into a bar or pub. SomaBar has introduced one of the first intelligent brewers in the world.
Users simply have to place up to six drinks (three on each side of the machine) and via a phone app they can choose what drink they want and how they want it made, including if ‘light’ or ‘strong’.
The Wi-Fi enabled cocktail maker is launching later this year a $429. Designers have also included a water system that flushes through the pours to keep drinks’ flavours pure.
8. Smart wall clock
The Glance Clock is a smart wall clock that displays the users data on different fronts including fitness, sleeping patterns, number of hours worked, weather and more.
Developed by Glance, the clock boosts a full-colour LED display. It uses third party APIs to request and receive data from the Glance cloud.
The device also pairs with users’ wearables, such as Jawbone and Fitbit, other smart devices including Nest and web services from Google and other web companies.
9. Smart fan
Big Ass Fans have taken to CES a ceiling fan that intelligently connects to smart home thermostats and other devices, like Google’s Nest, Amazon’s Echo and LIFX’s white 800 LED bulb.
The fans also respond to human presence using SenseME technology that includes sensors to measure room temperature, humidity, light intensity and occupancy.
By using this sensors, the automated fans will speed up or down according to temperature changes in the room. The light turns on and off automatically, and adjusts itself based on the ambient light already in the room.
10. Intelligent CCTV
The smart home is not just about connecting appliances to users’ phones. It is also an opportunity to make the home smartly more security.
With this in mind, Netatmo took to CES with the Netatmo Presence, a CCTV camera widen in a fluorescent light with intelligence to distinguish between humans, cars and animals. Homeowners can also set the camera to record specific areas in a 100 degree field view zone.
The Presence will have a computer interface and it will communicate with phones both running on iOS and Android. The camera will only contact owners once something unusual happens within its filming range, avoiding users being sent an overload of alerts when something moves.
The camera offers an HD resolution of 1080p and a 20 metres range of detection. Internal memory runs up to 8GB, however it can be extended to up to 32GB. It is also fully waterproof and Wi-Fi enabled.
