The Future Of Smart Homes
Our predictions based from CES 2017. Where should you put your money?
The breakneck pace of developments in smart home technology can be seen by comparing last year’s Consumer Electronics Show with this year’s event. CES 2016 was dominated by devices capable of connecting to the internet, whereas this year’s headline-stealers included devices capable of connecting with each other. From iOS and Android to Alexa and Nest, tomorrow’s smart homes may rely on interaction as much as connectivity.
Entering the IoT Household
Each smart home device generates data that is uploaded to the Internet of Things – a catch-all term for the vast repository of information being sent from 20 billion devices worldwide. While previous years saw predictions about one smart platform to rule them all (like Jarvis in the Iron Man comics), industry observers now predict a two-tier system of smart homes. Individual devices will govern themselves and manage their own data transfers, despite being linked to a voice-activated control hub.
Storage Space
The IoT’s ever-increasing data volumes require a matching expansion of cloud storage and processing power. Cloud hosting providers are investing heavily in algorithms and analytics software that can identify unusual trends or impending situations. These range from fitness monitors detecting early signs of manic depression, to fridges capable of reordering stocks as they run low. And while the smart fridge has become a source of mirth among cynics, the latest refrigeration technology suggests meals based on available ingredients. Fridges can instruct consumers to throw items away as they reach their expiration dates, and even support the reordering of stocks from anywhere with an internet connection.
But Why Smart?
This reflects the overarching principle driving investment in smart technology among manufacturers, software developers and cloud hosting providers – convenience. Amazon Dash buttons are a classic case in point; these compact wifi devices reorder products with a single button press. Similarly, curated recommendations on Spotify and Netflix use machine learning algorithms to simplify our lives and decisions. Their ability to influence our behavior and tastes hasn’t gone unnoticed. There are debates over whether we’re too easily influenced by algorithmic analysis. Given our propensity to embrace predictive search engines and non-chronological social media feeds, it seems few consumers are worried.
Securing the Homestead
One thing people do care about is their safety and security, with many smart home technologies focusing on these related industries. CCTV cameras can now distinguish between people and animals, with facial recognition and other biometric data preventing unlawful access. ID verification enables domestic activities to take place remotely, with car companies developing vehicular voice control tools that ‘talk’ to domestic systems like Alexa. The scope for remote management of tasks (such as unlocking doors or turning on porch lights) is a key area of focus for software developers, while cloud hosting providers are racing to develop real-time networks with the highest levels of security.
Some far-sighted entrepreneurs predict our homes will soon react to our actions, and even our unspoken desires. Biometric data could be used to adjust air purity for allergy sufferers, or lower the temperature after we return home from the gym. It may even be possible to identify family members by their heartbeats or breathing patterns, rather than their fingerprints or PIN codes. Gradually eliminating today’s forest of controls, switches and dials may represent the ultimate incarnation of the smart home – as well as one of its most welcome advances.