Are You Ready For A Smarthome?
Homes are getting smarter as artificial intelligence inhabits the appliances and gadgets we buy. But will such change improve our lives?
From fantasy to fact
The promise of the smarthome is shifting from fantasy to fact for millions of people as technology moves in to live alongside us. In future, the alarm that wakes us in the morning will scan our vital health signs and book doctor and dentist appointments to appear in our electronic schedule. The kitchen and car will be put on alert to prepare breakfast and ready transport as we shower and dress. The house will go into automatic defence mode once we leave and work notified to expect our arrival, switch on computers and inform anyone we wish to meet. Sensors will monitor internal temperatures and direct solar panels to harvest and manage energy in the most efficient way. The security of the home will be monitored via smart locks programmed with facial and voice recognition linked to a monitoring station in case of emergency. Energy and heating use will be monitored to ensure every appliance is charged and ready for action at minimal cost.
Everything will be voice activated, as switching on and off appliances will become a forgotten habit. All devices will be linked to the internet and through the internet to everything else, as artificial intelligence makes countless calculations and endless decisions to anticipate our every need. Our homes will know more about us than we do and play a central role in managing our lives. Sensors throughout the house will learn about us and predict our behaviour as information is gathered about everything we do and don’t do. Data will be collected on a 24/7 basis as bodily functions are monitored and problems uploaded to insurance companies to predict future illness. Smart lights, speakers, fridges and TVs will play a part too, as screen time is monitored to encourage greater levels of mental health and physical activity.
Watching us closely
Making sure the home is secure will become important too, as personal data is protected from cyber attack. Given our future reliance on the smarthome, access to fast and reliable broadband is vital. Advanced technology will ultimately integrate machine and human intelligence to provide homes with a way of living that is as yet unimaginable.
We will of course share our smarthomes with robots, as they act as cleaners and fixers but also as companions to the elderly and teachers of the young. Furniture too will be able to change shape to adapt to the immediate surroundings. Most surprisingly, the smarthome of the future will house a special space free of technology to provide refuge when we need to escape from the stress of the connected world.
So, the smarthome of the future will know everything about us and encourage us to live a healthier life whether or not we want to.
