Imagine having your everyday life ordered and controlled by a series of integrated apps and smart appliances – that would anticipate your needs, and take steps to counter any around-the-home problems. The home of the future could very well be a smart home that caters to all your needs and constructs an environment that is in tune with your personality.
Imagine a home where:
*The refrigerator not only kept watch on what was in stock, but was programmed to order supplies when you start running low.
*The smoke alarm could not only detect smoke, but alert local authorities, identify the source of the problem, turn it off and then start ceiling fans to disperse the smoke.
*The home itself can recognise you by your heartbeat, know your desired comfort levels and adjust lighting and temperature conditions accordingly.
*The house essentially thinks for itself, adjusting energy use in line with weather and your own habits. It can turn on heating/cooling and appliances in line with your usual arrival times.
*Household appliances can be controlled remotely.
While the widespread use of these innovations is some way off, much of the technology is either here or on the drawing board. Smart technology is a highly competitive area, and as companies strive to corner the market in smart home technology, practical new developments emerge that are making living easier.
One such development is the SleepIQ technology developed by Sleep Number. This technology enables you to track your sleep habits and to take steps to improve your sleep patterns. It can tell you how long and how well you slept as well as drawing correlations between your daily routine and the quality of your sleep. The SleepIQ tracks every moment of your sleep and is said to be both beneficial to sleep habits and an addictive tool.
In other developments that herald the age of the smart home, Whirlpool has introduced dishwashers that can order detergent automatically for you as you get low, and Corning have developed Gorilla glass that could be used on fridge doors.
The developments keep coming and undoubtedly the house of the future will be full of innovative devices that can make life’s day-to-day chores simpler and easier – but there are a few obstacles preventing us from really adapting to the smart home.
The trouble is that with this explosion in technology there is almost too much choice in the marketplace. Right now we are in that shake-out phase where different companies are trialling different applications, many of which can’t “talk” to each other. But as time progresses, it is inevitable that homes will become smarter and more interactive.
If you would like assistance installing smart appliances to your home, the friendly Everest Electrical team is on hand to help. We invite you to call us today on 0410 229 139, we will be happy to talk you through the benefits and current difficulties.