Smart technology is expanding at an incredible rate, with more appliances than ever before being remotely controllable and network aware. Within a decade, smart appliances and even more complex home automation systems are likely to be staples of our homes rather than an oddity.
There are a multitude of smart technologies available, but here are seven that you can expect to see in more and more homes in the near future.
Robots and smarter appliances at home
Home robotics
Smart hoover robots, such as the Roomba, already exist, as do automatic lawn mowing robots. Also emerging are more ‘fully-featured’ robots, with prototypes existing that can operate machines, perform basic chores, and even serve drinks.
Smarter appliances
While the current generation of smart appliances often involves changing settings from a distance, the emerging generation is far more impressive. Smart ovens, for instance, have the capability to detect what you are cooking and report on how close to being ready your dinner is, even providing cooking suggestions based on what it detects you are cooking!
Managing energy, lighting and heating
Lighting and heating
Already very much a staple of home automation, smart lighting and heating can be triggered remotely. Of course you will need to ensure you have a professional Boiler Installation Cheltenham company who knows How to install a boiler to put the system in for you. You can ensure your home is warm when you walk through the door, for example, or ensure you will never have to fumble for another light switch.
Smart energy meters
While smart energy meters do not provide too much use to a consumer on their own, you could trigger other smart appliances through an automation system such as IFTTT; for example, washing machines can be set to run automatically when energy prices dip, or to delay if energy prices are high.
Smart features for comfort and safety
Smart toilets
Most people probably think of self-cleaning toilets, which can may be the case; however, smart toilets also have the capacity to analyse urine to detect diabetes, and potentially other ailments.
Home entertainment systems
Integrated entertainment systems – where media can be stored on a computer or similar – are already becoming more common; however, smart systems look to improve these systems through more integration and unified control through an app.
Security systems
Smart security systems mesh traditional security systems with CCTV and the ability to be monitored at a distance. This means you can always keep an eye on your home, or be instantly alerted when motion sensors are triggered.
Summary
This article outlines seven home automation technologies to expect in more homes soon, including robots that go beyond vacuuming to perform chores, smart ovens that detect what’s cooking, and remotely triggered lighting and heating. It also covers smart energy meters that run appliances when prices dip, smart toilets that can detect health conditions, integrated entertainment systems, and security systems combining CCTV with remote monitoring.
Questions this article raises
- How affordable are these smart home technologies likely to become for most households?
- How reliable is a smart toilet’s health detection compared with a medical test?
- What happens to these smart systems during a power or internet outage?
