7 Fantastic Creations Which Represent the Future of Smart Home Innovation

Smart home devices are set to be a cornerstone of technological progress in the 2020s. Each year we see inspiring and astounding progress across a whole variety of fields outside our front doors. The fact there are now serious plans in place by the likes of NASA and SpaceX to have human beings land on the Moon and Mars this decade is a leading example of this. But ultimately smart home gadgets will find direct and daily use by millions of Australians before the 2020s are out - in a way that space rockets will not (though nifty they are!)

One of the misconceptions many people have surrounding smart devices is that they think all such gadgets are very complex to integrate into the home. This is simply not the case, and is evidenced by how many smart home devices already exist in Australian households. But even though the smart home devices in use today are already terrific, there’s unquestionably some brilliant ones that are just beginning to get some real momentum behind them in terms of pushing towards mass production and/or widespread uptake. So let’s look now at 7 fantastic creations which represent the future of smart home innovations.

1. AI-Integrated Lighting

Once AI-integrated lighting is in use all across Australia, the synchronicity - and thus increased efficiency - of how each home uses lights will be akin to the way street lights can all switch on at once. With a capacity for AI lighting to ‘learn’ from one day to the next, automatically switching lights on earlier in a winter’s night, but leaving them off in summer when daylight lasts for much longer, will be the norm. This will drive down the waste of electricity in a substantial way.

2. Jewellery Which You Can Twist to Control Appliances

AI lighting should take care of our visual needs, but what about other senses? It’s predicted the smart homes of the future will allow for wearables to control settings on devices such as HVAC appliances. Imagine walking into a living room where with just your voice and the twist of a ring you can turn up the air conditioner precisely how you like it. This could soon be doable in your own home.

3. Smart Beds

Our smartphones and smartwatches can tell us how long we sleep, but smart beds can provide us with in-depth detail. For anyone who regularly wakes up overheated and then throws off a blanket, or feels their sleep may be impacted by other factors, the data smart beds derive could give new insight into why this is occurring, and thus provide a foundation to fix it. Best of all, smart beds can also come with their own alarms, meaning even if your phone battery goes flat you’ll still get woken at the right time, and avoid a mad rush due to sleeping in late. 

4. Voice-Activated Bathroom Appliances

If getting out of a smart bed in time for work still sounds challenging, you’ll be happy to know the future will see voice-activated bathroom appliances become commonplace. Instead of having to hop into the shower and fiddle around with handles while half-awake, all that’ll be required is to say something like ‘shower on’, and you’ll be all set to get in and have a speedy wash.

5. Smart Wardrobes

People take approximately 17 minutes each day to choose what they’ll wear. That’s a lot of time in the morning rush! The smart wardrobe will help you get the very most out of this time, making it easy to see what clothes in the closet will match, while also providing on-screen (on the mirror) notifications and news. That’ll help ensure once you’re dressed you’re also up to speed on all you need to know for the day. 

6. Mini Projectors

Home designs are in a state of constant revolution. After all, 50 years ago essentially no home design catered for the huge array of digital devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops that we now utilise daily. While new homes have a greater digital sophistication than those built prior, many people now live in smaller residences for longer periods of time than in generations prior. It’s here mini projectors offer immense potential as their capabilities surrounding resolution grows, as portable devices are able to provide that big screen feeling even in rooms where space constraints would otherwise make having a big TV difficult.

7. Wireless Charging Integrations

Wireless chargers have been popular for a few years now, but they’ve largely remained an accessory instead of a true integration in home design. Now that’s starting to change. In addition to manufacturers like IKEA now offering products with wireless chargers built into devices such as lamps, there’s the anticipation in future we’ll see kitchen countertops, dining tables, and an abundance of other everyday furniture also able to charge a device. 

The Smartest Move of All

This list shows there’s no doubt how fantastic smart home devices are, those that are widely available now, and ones that will be in the future. Yet ultimately, when looking to make a start in building a smart home, a rooftop solar system should always get the first consideration. 

A rooftop solar system can drive down electricity costs today, deliver the household a defence against any rising electricity costs in the future, and provide a source of clean and green energy. 
Most notably of all as it applies to smart home devices, a rooftop solar system can of course help generate the energy that powers them! So if you are looking to start down the path to building a smart home, considering solar power as the first step on this journey is always a wise move.

Browse our website for more on renewable energy.