With artificial intelligence and plenty of smart home devices such as the Amazon Echo being gifted this Christmas, it seems we are open to the idea of AI making our lives easier. Despite tight regulations, robots are becoming smarter and smarter, as shown by Channel 4’s recent documentary series called ‘Rise of the Robots’. In the programmes, there is a variety of robots created to assist humans in their everyday life, with the help of AI. From robots helping to diagnose health problems, to those that provide company in life and even in the bedroom! But, we’re going off track here. Let’s look at smart home devices and the future of AI in properties.
What Smart Home Devices are Currently on the Market?
There is a variety of clever tech available from all large retailers such as Currys PC World, John Lewis and Amazon. Many of these offer voice activation. The market leader Amazon Echo for example, can play music, recite news and weather to you, control appliances in your home, and answer your questions. Smart home devices can also light your home when you’re out at the touch of a button, control heating remotely, offer surveillance, turn plugs on or off, monitor your child, and you can even get alerts to your phone when a light is triggered, or an alarm is going off. These innovations can be connected to a central hub to link smart devices. Some of the best smart hubs can actually sync gadgets together. For example, being able to set rules such as “if the wireless camera detects movement then turn the radio on”. Pet lovers will be impressed with devices such as Furbo, which allow you to see and talk to your dog, as well as giving treats when requested.
The Future is…
When we look back at history and authors such as George Orwell in his book 1984, we see that the imaginary can become reality! The rate at which technology is advancing is phenomenal and far ahead of past projections. So how can smart homes develop from here? Automated robots have already entered our homes as devices such as the iRobot which cleans the floors in your home for you. Meanwhile in Germany, scientists have been working on a prototype of a robot that can pick up items, tidy up, operate various machinery and serve drinks to you and your guests. Japan is also making headway and is even producing smart toilets that do a urinanalysis.
With smart home technology all connecting to a Wi-Fi connection, there is concern that this will provide opportunity for hacking. However, physical personal home security systems can provide CCTV monitoring and can even allow keyless entry due to facial recognition software.
It is safe to say the way we control and light our homes will be changing over the next few years. I guess, we will have to wait and see what the future brings! Will you create a smart home?
